Iran used a Chinese spy satellite it secretly bought in 2024 to target US bases in the current war, the
Financial Times reported Wednesday.
The TEE-01B satellite, built and launched by Chinese company Earth Eye Co, was acquired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace Force in late 2024 after it was launched into space from China, the report said, citing leaked Iranian military documents.
The Iranian military commanders directed the satellite to monitor major US military sites, the newspaper said, citing time-stamped coordinate lists, satellite imagery and orbital analysis. The images were taken in March before and after drone and missile strikes on those locations, FT said.
As part of the deal, the IRGC received access to commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based provider of satellite control and data services provider with a network extending across Asia, Latin America and other regions, according to the report.
The satellite captured images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14 and 15, FT said. On March 14, US President Donald Trump confirmed US planes at the base had been hit.
According to the report, the satellite also monitored Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and locations close to the US Fifth Fleet naval base in Manama, Bahrain, and Erbil airport, Iraq, around the time of IRGC-claimed attacks on facilities in those areas.