Iran used Chinese spy satellite to target US bases

Iran secretly acquired a Chinese spy satellite, giving the Islamic Republic a new capability to target U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the recent war, the Financial Times reported on 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 U.S. 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.