16:36 15-04-2026

FT Says Iran Used Chinese Satellite for US Base Strikes

NASA/Tim Kopra, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Financial Times says Iran used the Chinese TEE-01B satellite to coordinate and assess strikes on US military bases in the Middle East.

According to the Financial Times, Iran used a Chinese reconnaissance satellite to coordinate strikes on US military bases in the Middle East.

Citing sources, the newspaper said the satellite in question was TEE-01B, which Tehran purchased from Beijing in 2024. The report says that even before the start of the US military operation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had gained access to the commercial ground stations of the Chinese company Emposat, which were used to control the satellite. The operator’s network covers Asia and countries in Latin America.

The Financial Times also reported that the satellite was used to assess the aftermath of strikes on American bases in the region. In particular, TEE-01B is said to have taken images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. According to the newspaper, one of the attacks in that area damaged or destroyed several US tanker aircraft, as well as a Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft.

The report also recalled that on April 12, US President Donald Trump said he intended to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods if evidence emerged that Beijing was supplying weapons to Tehran.