US official: Iran obtained Chinese satellite images before attacking US military base in Jordan

(Central News Agency, Washington, 11th, comprehensive foreign news reports) U.S. officials said that before Iran launched an attack in July that killed three U.S. troops, it obtained high-resolution satellite images of U.S. military bases in Jordan from China. The U.S. is also currently investigating whether China is assisting Iran in tracking U.S. warships. This discovery may further exacerbate U.S.-China tensions before the "Trump-Xi meeting" on the 24th.

The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials familiar with the details of the incident said this was the clearest evidence yet that China's support for Iran during the war had had fatal consequences for the U.S. military. U.S. officials pointed out that authorities have linked these satellite images to the attack.

U.S. officials declined to identify the Chinese entity that provided Tehran with the images, and did not accuse Beijing of direct involvement in the conflict, saying only that Iran had obtained relevant images before and after the attack.

However, U.S. President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a summit on the 24th. The exposure of this matter may increase tensions between the United States and China. In the past few months, the United States has repeatedly warned that Chinese companies providing images to Iran may be used to target US military targets. However, Beijing has always denied relevant claims, making the United States increasingly dissatisfied.

In an attack on July 17, an Iranian ballistic missile hit the accommodation area of ​​Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, killing three US troops and injuring four others. U.S. officials said Iran also targeted aircraft at the base for attacks.

According to U.S. officials, before the attack on Muwafak-Salti Air Base, senior Trump administration officials had spent months warning their Chinese counterparts that Chinese companies were providing Iran with satellite imagery that could be used to target U.S. military personnel and assets in the region. When the Trump administration sanctioned several Chinese companies in May, it also said that providing satellite imagery to Iran "posed a threat to U.S. and partner personnel."

Trump has told aides that maintaining good relations with China, especially Xi Jinping, is his top priority, so top U.S. officials have tried to avoid an open confrontation with Beijing that could affect or derail preparations for the summit.

Days after the July 17 attack, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. When asked after the meeting whether China had provided target intelligence to Iran, Rubio refused to answer directly, saying only that "nothing China has done has changed the direction of this conflict in any way."

U.S. officials say Iran's targeting capabilities appear to have improved this summer. Jim Lamson, a former CIA analyst on Iran and current senior fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said that the latest high-resolution images provided by China can show recent changes in the base and help Iran "timely select the most effective targets." Post-attack images can help Iran evaluate the effectiveness of the attack and decide whether to launch another attack.

Analysts and former U.S. officials said the satellite images were likely just one of Iran's many sources of intelligence. U.S. officials said the Iranian military would also use its own satellite and human intelligence sources, as well as intelligence and imagery from Russia.

U.S. officials are also concerned that China could help Iran track U.S. naval assets, sources said. Iran has launched ballistic missiles at U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships in recent days. U.S. Central Command said the attacks were unsuccessful, but officials described some of the attacks as close to success, and Iran's ability to target moving warships appears to be improving.