A stunning new report claims Communist China played a direct role in supplying the intelligence Iran used to carry out a deadly strike that killed three American service members earlier this year, raising fresh alarm about Beijing’s shadowy ties to the terror-sponsoring regime in Tehran.
According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited U.S. officials familiar with the matter, Iran obtained high-resolution satellite imagery from Chinese entities before launching the July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The strike killed three American troops and wounded four others.
A War Department official declined to confirm details when reached by the Daily Caller News Foundation, saying only that the department does not comment on intelligence matters. The Chinese Embassy, the State Department and U.S. Central Command all failed to respond to requests for comment.
Officials described the revelation as the clearest evidence yet of Chinese involvement in the broader conflict between the United States and Iran. Notably, the officials stopped short of accusing the Chinese government itself of direct involvement, and they declined to name the specific suppliers behind the satellite imagery.
Despite the seriousness of the claims, American officials reportedly raised the findings with their Chinese counterparts, only to be met with denials and demands for proof.
This is not the first time Beijing has been linked to Tehran’s military targeting capabilities. Back in May, the U.S. sanctioned a number of individuals and entities based in both China and the Middle East for allegedly helping Iran acquire sensitive satellite imagery.
The timing of the report is especially sensitive, coming less than two weeks before President Donald Trump is set to host Chinese President Xi Jinping for a summit at the White House on September 24. Adding to the tension, China has reportedly threatened to scrap that very summit if the U.S. moves forward with additional arms sales to Taiwan.
China isn’t the only adversary accused of quietly backing Iran’s efforts against American forces. Russia has also been accused of assisting Tehran in targeting U.S. military assets in the region, according to a March report from The Associated Press, which cited two U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence.
The revelations paint a troubling picture of a coordinated axis of American adversaries — Iran, China and Russia — each playing a role in a conflict that has already cost American lives. As the Trump administration prepares to sit down with Xi later this month, questions about Beijing’s fingerprints on the deadly Jordan strike are certain to loom large over the talks.
