A Financial Times report alleges that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) obtained a TEE-01B satellite from a Chinese company.
China has dismissed a Financial Times report as “fabricated,” rejecting allegations that Beijing provided covert satellite assistance to Iran that enabled it to target US military bases across the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict.
The report claims that Iran secretly acquired a Chinese-made spy satellite in late 2024, which has since been used to track and carry out strikes on US military installations in the region.
The TEE-01B satellite, developed and launched by Chinese firm Earth Eye Co, was reportedly acquired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force after its deployment from China, according to the report citing leaked Iranian military documents.
The publication also claimed that Iranian military commanders used the satellite to monitor key US military installations, referencing time-stamped coordinate data, satellite imagery, and orbital analysis. It said the images were captured in March, both before and after drone and missile strikes on the targeted sites.
Additionally, the report stated that under the arrangement, the IRGC gained access to commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based satellite data and control services provider with a network spanning Asia, Latin America, and other regions.
The TEE-01B satellite, built and launched by Chinese company Earth Eye Co, was reportedly acquired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force after its deployment from China, according to the report, which cites leaked Iranian military documents.
The newspaper said Iranian military commanders used the satellite to track major US military installations, referencing time-stamped coordinate data, satellite imagery, and orbital analysis. It added that the images were captured in March, both before and after drone and missile strikes on the targeted sites, according to the Financial Times.
The report also claimed that, under the arrangement, the IRGC gained access to commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based satellite control and data services provider with a network spanning Asia, Latin America, and other regions.Latin America, and other regions.
Rejecting the allegations, the Chinese foreign ministry told Reuters: “Recently, some forces have been keen on fabricating rumours and maliciously associating them with China.”
It added, “China firmly opposes this kind of practice driven by ulterior motives.”
Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the claims. The White House, CIA, and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earth Eye Co and Emposat also did not issue immediate responses to queries.
The report further stated that while the White House declined to comment on Emposat’s alleged links with the IRGC, a spokesperson referred to remarks by US President Donald Trump over the weekend, in which he warned that China could face “big problems” if it supplied Iran with air defence systems.
When asked about the allegations, the Chinese embassy in Washington told the publication: “We firmly oppose relevant parties spreading speculative and insinuative disinformation against China.”
According to the report, the satellite captured images of Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base on March 13, 14, and 15. Trump later confirmed on March 14 that US aircraft at the base had been struck.
The report also claimed the satellite monitored Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, as well as areas near the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, and Erbil airport in Iraq, around the time of IRGC-claimed attacks in those regions.
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