Iran secretly obtained a Chinese-built surveillance satellite that it used to monitor U.S. military installations across the Middle East, according to a new report that highlights growing concerns about Tehran’s intelligence capabilities.

The Financial Times reported Wednesday that the satellite, known as TEE-01B, was acquired by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force in late 2024 after being launched from China by the company Earth Eye Co.. The report, citing leaked Iranian military documents, said commanders directed the satellite to track key U.S. sites in the region.

According to the report, the satellite captured imagery of several strategic locations, including Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, as well as sites in Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq. The data reportedly included time-stamped coordinates, orbital tracking information and imagery taken before and after Iranian drone and missile strikes earlier this year.

Among the locations monitored were Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and areas near the U.S. Fifth Fleet’s headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, along with Erbil airport in Iraq. The imagery was gathered in March, around the same period that Iran-linked forces claimed attacks on those facilities.

On Tuesday, President Trump confirmed that U.S. aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base had been struck, lending additional scrutiny to the timing of the reported satellite surveillance.

As part of the arrangement, the report said Iran also gained access to a network of commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, enabling it to control the satellite and process data across a global infrastructure spanning Asia and Latin America.

China, however, strongly denied any role in facilitating attacks. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry told Reuters that claims Iran used the satellite to direct strikes on U.S. targets were “not true.”

U.S. officials, including the White House, CIA and Pentagon, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters. Earth Eye Co. and Emposat also did not comment.

The report adds to a broader pattern of alleged cooperation between Beijing and Tehran during the recent conflict. CNN reported last week that U.S. intelligence assessments suggested China was preparing to supply Iran with new air defense systems, including shoulder-fired missiles known as MANPADS, which could pose a threat to low-flying aircraft.

Chinese officials dismissed that report as well, saying Beijing has not provided weapons to any party involved in the conflict.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)