Iran used Chinese spy satellite to target US military bases in Middle East – report

IRGC bought satellite in late 2024 after it was launched into space, and directed it to monitor bases before and after missile and drone strikes on them, Financial Times says

By Reuters and ToI Staff 15 April 2026, 10:02 am

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Illustrative: A rocket carrying two satellites lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China's Gansu province on July 25, 2019. (CN-STR / AFP)

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.

This UGC image posted on social media on March 29, 2026, and verified by AFP staff appears to show a destroyed US Air Force Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, primarily used for air traffic control, in the aftermath of a projectile strike at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia. (UGC / AFP)

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.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. The White House, CIA, Pentagon, China’s foreign affairs ministry and defense ministry, Earth Eye Co and Emposat did not immediately respond to requests by Reuters for comment.

Previous reports have said Iran received Russian intelligence satellite imagery of both US and Israeli targets following the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran on February 28.

The campaign, which came to a halt last Wednesday after a two-week ceasefire was announced, sought to destabilize Iran’s regime and destroy its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

Iran responded with missile and drone strikes across the region and by effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz. Last week, Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council aimed at reopening the vital waterway.