Iran obtained high-resolution satellite imagery of a US military base in Jordan from Chinese sources before launching a missile attack that killed three American servicemen in July, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials familiar with the matter.
According to the report, Washington has linked the Chinese-sourced imagery to the July 17 strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in northeastern Jordan, while stopping short of alleging direct involvement by the Chinese government.
US officials told the WSJ that Iran obtained the imagery both before and after the attack. They did not identify the Chinese companies involved.
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Iranian ballistic missiles struck a housing area at the base where US troops were sleeping, killing three soldiers and injuring four others who were evacuated for treatment. The attack was one of three missile strikes on the base within a 24-hour period and marked the first American combat deaths since an April ceasefire.
The WSJ said Iran released high-resolution images of damage to three sections of the base within days of the attack. The images were more detailed than lower-resolution commercial satellite imagery reviewed by the newspaper, which showed damage to more than 20 structures.
The disclosure comes ahead of a planned September 24 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
US officials said senior American officials had raised the imagery findings with their Chinese counterparts. Beijing demanded evidence and rejected the allegations, according to the WSJ.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington accused unnamed parties of "maliciously linking and smearing other countries", the report said.
A White House official told the WSJ that no outside assistance had improved Iran's ability to strike US targets, without directly addressing the satellite imagery claims.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asked shortly after the attack whether China was providing Iran with targeting data, declined to answer directly. He said Beijing's actions had not changed the course of the conflict.
The satellite imagery was likely only one of several intelligence sources used by Iran to improve its targeting, according to analysts and former officials cited by the WSJ. These reportedly included Iranian satellites, human intelligence and Russian support.
Earlier in the conflict, US strikes on Iranian radar and satellite systems had weakened Tehran's battlefield awareness, with Iranian missiles frequently missing significant military targets. US officials cited by the WSJ said Iran's targeting accuracy appeared to improve over the summer.
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The Trump administration had already sanctioned three Chinese companies, MizarVision, Earth Eye and Chang Guang, in May over allegations that they provided or published satellite imagery that could be used by Iran against US forces.
The State Department had also accused Chang Guang of supplying imagery that supported attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.
The administration has briefed congressional intelligence committees in recent weeks on alleged Chinese and Russian support for Iran.
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