U.S. officials said Iran obtained high-resolution satellite imagery of Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack last July that killed three U.S. soldiers. The officials declined to identify the entities that provided the imagery and did not accuse the Chinese government of direct involvement in supplying it to Tehran.
U.S. warnings over Chinese imagery for Iran
The attack came months after senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration warned their Chinese counterparts that Chinese companies were supplying Iran with satellite imagery that could be used to target U.S. personnel and assets in the region, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials.
Iran improves its ability to target U.S. ships
The newspaper cited people familiar with the matter as saying that Iran had launched ballistic missiles in recent days toward a U.S. aircraft carrier and other warships. U.S. officials described some of the Iranian attacks as nearly “catastrophic” and said Tehran’s ability to target moving ships had improved.
A White House official, by contrast, said any assistance Iran had received from foreign entities had not enhanced its ability to attack the United States. Congressional officials said the administration had briefed lawmakers on intelligence committees in recent weeks about the support Russia and China provide to Iran.
The U.S. concerns come as the Trump administration seeks to maintain stable channels with Beijing. According to the report, the U.S. president told his team that good relations with China and President Xi Jinping were a top priority, while senior officials sought to avoid a public confrontation that could affect plans for a summit between the two countries.
