China has denied reports that Chinese entities supplied Iran with satellite images of a military base in Jordan before and after an Iranian missile strike that killed three US soldiers.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the images were linked to Iran’s July 17 missile strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, which hosts US troops. The report cited unnamed American officials but did not identify the Chinese entities allegedly involved. It also did not say that the Chinese government had directly ordered or carried out the transfer.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun rejected the allegations during a regular news conference on Monday, calling them “groundless” and saying China opposed accusations made without evidence.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Chinese officials were asked by US officials to verify whether satellite images had been transferred to Iran. The Chinese side reportedly did not acknowledge that Chinese companies had provided satellite photographs to Tehran.
The allegations come as Washington continues to watch China’s relationship with Iran closely. China is Iran’s main economic partner and buys a significant share of the country’s oil. Beijing has also maintained diplomatic ties with Tehran.
The United States has previously taken action against Chinese satellite companies over their alleged role in supporting Iran’s military activities. In May, Washington sanctioned three Chinese satellite businesses for allegedly helping Iran’s military operations.
US President Donald Trump has also warned China against selling weapons to Iran. However, Trump appeared to play down the latest allegations when speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
“You know, when they say that China spies on us, I say you’re right, and we spy on them too,” Trump said. “That’s what we do. They basically do what we do.”
The dispute comes just days before a planned September 24 visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House, making the allegations another sensitive issue between Washington and Beijing.
Despite the tensions, Trump described his relationship with Xi in relatively positive terms, saying that the Chinese leader had “behaved reasonably well” and that the two countries had also behaved reasonably well.
Trump was also asked whether he would allow Chinese-made cars to be sold in the United States. He said he had kept them out, pointing to US tariffs as one of the measures that had restricted their entry into the American market.
For now, China has rejected the satellite imagery allegations, while the reported US concerns remain part of a wider dispute over China’s economic and diplomatic relationship with Iran.
