Before Iran carried out its attack that killed three US troops in July, Tehran acquired high-resolution satellite images of the base in Jordan from Chinese entities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing US officials familiar with details of the incident.
It is the clearest evidence so far that Chinese support for Iran during the war has had lethal consequences for US forces, according to the officials, who say the US has connected the imagery to the attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in northeastern Jordan.
The officials did not identify the Chinese entities that supplied the imagery and stopped short of accusing the Chinese government of directly assisting the attack.
Last July, Iranian ballistic missiles struck a housing area where US troops were sleeping, killing three soldiers and wounding four others. The attack was one of three missile strikes against the base within 24 hours and marked the first US deaths since an April ceasefire.
US officials also told the Journal that Iran targeted manned and unmanned aircraft stationed at the base.
Senior US officials raised the satellite imagery linked to the July 17 attack directly with Chinese counterparts, according to the Journal, but Beijing rejected the allegations and demanded evidence.
Chinese officials have repeatedly dismissed Washington's concerns and refused to acknowledge that Chinese companies were engaged in such activity, the report said.
The findings could add friction to US-China relations ahead of a planned Sept. 24 summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
According to the Journal report, Iranian access to high-resolution imagery was particularly significant because US strikes earlier in the war had damaged Iranian radar, satellites and other surveillance equipment, limiting Tehran’s ability to monitor US military positions.
Caption: Jordanian air defenses intercept missiles launched from Iran, September 9, 2026 (EPA)
