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Iran Used Chinese Spy Satellite to Target U.S. Bases, FT Reports
Leaked documents show the IRGC got 0.5-meter imagery and ground-station access, letting it track U.S. sites before and after strikes, FT reported.
- A Financial Times investigation revealed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps utilized a Chinese-built TEE-01B satellite to monitor United States military installations during the recent conflict, enabling precision targeting for Iran-linked forces.
- The IRGC acquired the system in late 2024 through an "in-orbit delivery" scheme with Chinese firm Earth Eye Co, paying approximately $36.6 million for control of the satellite and associated ground infrastructure.
- With imagery resolution of around 0.5 metres, the TEE-01B captured detailed views of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia hours before and after a March 14 missile strike that damaged five United States Air Force refueling aircraft.
- Intelligence streams also covered the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and United States Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Former CIA analyst Jim Lamson told the Financial Times that combining satellite data with human intelligence provides a "powerful tool" for military planning.
- United States officials have flagged concerns regarding dual-use technology transfers, while China denies involvement in escalating conflicts. Expert Nicole Grajewski of Sciences Po stated, "This satellite is clearly being used for military purposes," highlighting blurred lines between commercial and military space capabilities.
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Bases in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq were targeted: Iran's Revolutionary Guards may have secretly bought the TEE-01B satellite in China to spy on US troops – and then hit them.
·Germany
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Trump: 'I wrote to Xi, he's not doing it'. The app: 'According in principle between the US and Tehran to extend the ceasefire'
·Italy
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Iran used Chinese spy satellite to target US bases, FT reports, Beijing denies story
Iran secretly acquired a Chinese spy satellite in late 2024 that has allowed it to target U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the current war, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, an account Beijing dismissed as untrue.
·United Kingdom
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Total News Sources80
Leaning Left11Leaning Right19Center13Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Right
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources lean Right
44% Right
L 26%
C 30%
R 44%
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