China Denies Supplying Iran Satellite Images Before Strike That Killed US Troops

China has rejected reports that Chinese entities supplied Iran with satellite imagery of a US military base in Jordan before and after an Iranian missile strike that killed three American soldiers.

The allegation was reported by The Wall Street Journal over the weekend and relates to missile strikes Iran launched on July 17 against Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, where US troops were stationed.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the reports on Monday, describing the accusations as unsupported. He said Beijing opposed what he called “groundless suspicion and accusations without evidence.”

The Wall Street Journal report, citing unnamed US officials, did not identify the Chinese entities allegedly involved and did not accuse the Chinese government itself of directly providing the intelligence. Chinese officials reportedly asked US officials for evidence of any transfer of satellite imagery and declined to acknowledge that Chinese companies had supplied such information to Tehran.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, sought to play down the significance of the report as tensions between Washington and Beijing remain high. Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said both countries conduct intelligence-gathering activities against each other.

The allegations come as Washington continues to scrutinise China’s relationship with Iran. Trump has previously warned Beijing against supplying weapons to Tehran, while the US imposed sanctions in May on three China-based satellite companies over allegations that they supported Iran’s military operations.

China remains a major economic partner of Iran and buys a significant portion of the country’s oil exports. Beijing has also maintained an important diplomatic relationship with Tehran.

The latest dispute comes ahead of a planned September 24 visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House, adding another sensitive issue to the broader US-China relationship.