US Ties Chinese Satellite Imagery to Fatal Iran Strike on Jordan Base
US officials say Iran acquired high-resolution satellite imagery of a Jordan base from Chinese entities before a July attack that killed three American troops.
American officials have linked Chinese-supplied satellite imagery to an Iranian attack in July that killed three United States troops at a base in Jordan, according to an account published on Friday.
The officials said Tehran obtained high-resolution images of the base from Chinese entities before carrying out the strike. They did not name the Chinese entities involved, and they did not accuse Beijing of direct involvement in the attack.
The report, which could not be independently verified, offers a rare public indication of how Washington is assessing the intelligence trail behind the July incident. It stops short of asserting that the Chinese government or its military directed the transfer of the imagery.
The disclosure adds a new dimension to already strained relations between Washington and Beijing, and to the wider confrontation between the United States and Iran. It also raises questions about the role private or semi-private Chinese firms may play in supplying sensitive geospatial data that can be used for military targeting.
No further details about the imagery, the entities that provided it, or the timing of the transfer were immediately available.