Khaberni - The "Financial Times" reported on Wednesday that Iran had secretly used a Chinese satellite for spying, which gave Tehran new capability to target American military bases in the region during the recent war.
The newspaper added that leaked Iranian military documents show that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's air force obtained the satellite, known as TEE-01B, in late 2024 after it was launched into space from China.
The lists of dated coordinates, satellite images, and orbit analyses suggest that Iranian military leaders subsequently tasked the satellite with monitoring key American military sites, according to the newspaper. The images were captured in March, before and after drone strikes and missile attacks on those sites.
The images have a resolution of up to half a meter
For her part, Nicole Gragievsky, an expert on Iranian affairs at "Sciences Po", said, "It is clear that this satellite is used for military purposes, as it is operated by the air force of the Revolutionary Guard and not Iran's civilian space program." She also mentioned, "Iran desperately needs this capability provided by foreign entities during this war because it enables the Revolutionary Guard to pre-determine targets and verify the success of their strikes."
The satellite TEE-01B has the capability to capture images with a resolution of nearly half a meter, which matches the resolution of high-resolution Western commercial satellites. According to the "Financial Times," this satellite represents a significant leap in Iran’s local capabilities and will enable analysts to identify aircraft, vehicles, and changes in infrastructure.
In comparison, Iranian estimates indicate that the more advanced previous military satellite of the Revolutionary Guard's space forces, "Noor-3," can capture images with a resolution of about 5 meters, which is a notable improvement over the "Noor-2" system with a resolution ranging between 12 and 15 meters. However, it is still ten times less precise than the Chinese-made satellite, and insufficient for identifying aircraft or monitoring activity at military bases, according to the newspaper.
"Shipping Weapons"
It is noted that a few days ago, three sources familiar with recent intelligence assessments reported that American intelligence information indicated that China is preparing to deliver a shipment of new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks.
The sources also noted indications that Beijing is working to route the shipments through third countries to conceal their origin, as reported by "CNN" on Saturday.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued a warning to China following those reports. He told "CNN": "Well, if China does that, it will face significant problems."
In contrast, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington emphatically denied the matter, stating that his country "has never provided weapons to any party in the conflict, and the information mentioned is incorrect."
