Iran Acquires Chinese Spy Satellite for US Base Targeting

Iran secretly acquired a Chinese spy satellite, providing the Islamic Republic with new capabilities to target U.S. military bases across the Middle East during recent conflict, according to the Financial Times.

The TEE-01B satellite was built and launched by China’s Earth Eye Co and acquired by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force in late 2024 after being launched from China, as per leaked Iranian military documents.

Iranian military commanders directed the satellite to monitor major U.S. military sites, with images taken in March before and after drone and missile strikes on those locations, according to the Financial Times.

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, according to the report.

The satellite captured images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 13, 14, and 15, with U.S. planes at the base being hit on March 14, as confirmed by President Donald Trump. The satellite also monitored Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and locations near the U.S. Fifth Fleet naval base in Bahrain and Erbil airport, Iraq, around the time of IRGC-claimed attacks on facilities in those areas.