Iran received satellite images from China before striking American base in Jordan
Iran received high-resolution satellite images from Chinese companies before and after its missile strike on an American base in Jordan. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing American officials.
The attack in question took place on July 17, when Iran launched ballistic missiles at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in northeastern Jordan. The strike killed three American servicemen and injured four others.
According to the publication's sources, months before the attack, the Donald Trump administration had warned Beijing that Chinese companies might be providing satellite images to Iran. After the strike, Washington provided Chinese authorities with materials that, according to the American side, indicated China's connection to the attack on the base. However, Beijing rejected these accusations.
American officials did not name the companies that might have provided the images to Iran, nor did they claim that Chinese authorities were directly involved in this transfer.
The report of a possible transfer of satellite data could further strain relations between the US and China ahead of the planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on September 24.
According to The Wall Street Journal, after Trump told his team that maintaining good relations with Beijing and Xi Jinping was a priority for him, high-ranking American officials began to avoid open conflicts with China. In official statements, they also tried not to overstate the significance of possible Chinese assistance to Iran.
A few days after the strike on the American base, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. After the talks, Rubio did not directly answer the question of whether China had provided satellite images to Iran. He merely stated that "none of China's actions have in any way altered the course of the conflict."
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