Iran Uses Chinese Satellite to Target US Gulf Bases

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force utilized a Chinese-built TEE-01B Earth-observation satellite to enhance the precision of missile and drone strikes against US military bases in March. The satellite, acquired from the Chinese firm Earth Eye in late 2024 for approximately $36.6 million, provided high-resolution imagery that significantly improved targeting capabilities over the previous Noor-3 system.

Iranian commanders used the half-metre resolution data to monitor and target several strategic sites. These included the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, where American aircraft were hit, as well as the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, Erbil airport in Iraq, and the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Surveillance also extended to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, US bases in Kuwait, and the port of Duqm in Oman.

While the TEE-01B was developed by Earth Eye and other firms linked to the People's Liberation Army, the Government of China denied providing military assistance to Iran. President Xi Jinping reportedly assured US President Donald Trump that Beijing was not arming Tehran, even as Trump confirmed that American aircraft had been struck.