Iran relied on a Chinese-built satellite it quietly obtained last year to help track US military positions across the Middle East during the recent conflict, the Financial Times has reported.

The satellite, known as TEE-01B, was originally developed and launched by the Chinese firm Earth Eye Company before being transferred to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force.

Earth Eye Company operates under an unusual export model called “in-orbit delivery,” in which spacecraft launched in China are only handed over to overseas buyers once they have successfully reached orbit.

Iranian commanders are said to have tasked the satellite with observing key American military installations in the region. As part of the arrangement, the IRGC was also granted access to a network of commercial ground stations operated by Emposat, a Beijing-based satellite services provider with operations spanning Asia, Latin America, and other regions.

The satellite reportedly captured imagery of Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base on 13, 14, and 15 March. On 14 March, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that American aircraft stationed there had been damaged. TEE-01B is also said to have tracked activity around Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, sites near the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, and Erbil Airport in Iraq, coinciding with IRGC claims of strikes in those areas.

Its surveillance footprint extended further, covering US-linked facilities such as Camp Buehring and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, and Duqm International Airport in Oman. Civilian infrastructure was also monitored, including the Khor Fakkan container port and the Qidfa power and desalination complex in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Bahrain’s Alba aluminium plant, one of the largest in the world.

A former senior Western intelligence official told the publication, “There is no way that any Chinese company could do something like launch a satellite without somebody in the administration giving it the go-ahead. I think it’s been very clear for some time that China has been helping the Iranians with intelligence, but trying to keep the hand of government hidden.”

The reported use of a Chinese-origin satellite by the IRGC, particularly during a conflict in which Iran has repeatedly launched missiles and drones at neighbouring countries, is likely to heighten concerns across the Gulf.

These sensitivities are amplified by China’s deep economic ties in the region, where it is both the leading trading partner and the largest buyer of oil.

Separately, earlier reports suggested that Iran also gained access to Russian satellite intelligence on US and Israeli targets after the US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran began on 28 February.

China’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly denied in recent days that the country is providing any form of military support to Iran. Nonetheless, the US government has long accused China of supporting Iran’s ballistic missile program and supplying dual-use industrial components that can be employed in missile production.

Agencies