Iran acquired a Chinese-made surveillance satellite that enabled it to monitor U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the recent conflict, according to a report by the Financial Times citing leaked Iranian military documents.
The satellite, identified as TEE-01B, was obtained by the aerospace division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in late 2024 after being launched from China, the report said.
According to the documents cited, the system was used to observe locations hosting U.S. military presence and key infrastructure across multiple countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Djibouti, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
The report indicates that the satellite enhanced Iran’s ability to track installations and movements linked to U.S. forces across the region during a period of heightened tensions.
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Nicole Grajewski, an Iran expert at Sciences Po, told the Financial Times that the satellite appears to be used for military purposes. “This satellite is clearly being used for military purposes, as it is being run by the IRGC’s Aerospace Force and not Iran’s civilian space program,” she said.
There has been no immediate official confirmation from Iranian authorities regarding the report or the operational use of the satellite. U.S. officials have also not publicly responded to the claims.
The development, if independently verified, points to an expansion of Iran’s intelligence-gathering capability through space-based systems and highlights the growing role of satellite surveillance in regional security dynamics.
It also underscores reported cooperation between Iran and China in strategic and technological sectors, though details of any agreement related to the satellite were not disclosed.
The situation remains under scrutiny, with further verification and official responses awaited.
