Iran Allegedly Used Chinese Spy Satellite TEE-01B to Target US Bases, Beijing Denies

A leaked Iranian military document alleges that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) took control of a Chinese-built spy satellite and used it to track US military bases across the Middle East during the ongoing war. The report, published by the Financial Times, claims the TEE-01B satellite, built and launched by the Chinese firm Earth Eye Co., was quietly secured by Iran in late 2024 and subsequently operated by the IRGC's Aerospace Force for intelligence gathering.

The allegation directly implicates Chinese technology in a sensitive military intelligence operation, placing Beijing at the center of a major geopolitical controversy. The Chinese government has issued a forceful and angry denial, stating that "some forces have been keen on fabricating rumors and maliciously associating them to China." This creates a stark public confrontation between a detailed media report based on purported leaked documents and an official state denial.

The situation exposes the high-stakes intelligence and technological currents underpinning the Middle East conflict, where satellite surveillance is a critical asset. It also places significant diplomatic pressure on Beijing, forcing it to publicly distance itself from actions that, if true, would represent a direct transfer of advanced military-grade surveillance capability to a key regional actor engaged in hostilities. The credibility of the leaked documents and the nature of the commercial relationship between Earth Eye Co. and Iranian entities now face intense international scrutiny.