Iran used Chinese satellite TEE-01B to track US bases in West Asia: Report

Iran used a Chinese-built satellite to track US military positions across West Asia during the ongoing American-Israeli war, as per the latest reports. The satellite, TEE-01B, was developed and launched by the Chinese firm Earth Eye Company and later transferred to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, according to the Financial Times.

The transfer followed an ‘in-orbit delivery’ model, where satellites launched in China are handed over to foreign buyers only after reaching orbit. Once operational, Iranian commanders reportedly used TEE-01B to monitor key US military installations in the region.

As part of the deal, the IRGC also gained access to a network of commercial ground stations operated by Beijing-based satellite services provider Emposat.
The satellite captured imagery of Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base on March 13, 14 and 15. On March 14, US President Donald Trump said that American aircraft stationed there had been damaged. TEE-01B also tracked activity at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, as well as areas near the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, and Erbil Airport in Iraq, during the same period, the report stated.
Its coverage extended to other US-linked sites, including Camp Buehring and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, and Duqm International Airport in Oman. The satellite also monitored civilian infrastructure such as the Khor Fakkan container port and the Qidfa power and desalination complex in the UAE, along with Bahrain’s Alba aluminium plant.

“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,” a former senior Western intelligence official told the publication.

They added, “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 the government hidden.”

The reported use of a Chinese-origin satellite by Iran during an active conflict is expected to raise concerns across the Gulf. This comes amid China’s strong economic presence in the region as a major trading partner and oil buyer.

Earlier reports also suggested that Iran accessed Russian satellite intelligence on US and Israeli targets after the US-Israeli bombing campaign began on February 28.

Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry has denied providing any military support to Iran.