Eye of the IRGC: Inside Iran’s Secret Deal for a Chinese "Killer Satellite"
Leaked documents reveal Iran used a secret Chinese-built spy satellite, the TEE-01B, to track and target U.S. military bases during the recent Middle East conflict.
Iran secretly acquired a Chinese-built spy satellite in late 2024 and used it to monitor and help target U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the recent conflict, according to leaked Iranian military documents obtained by the Financial Times.
The satellite, identified as TEE-01B, was built and launched by the Chinese company Earth Eye and was acquired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Aerospace Force shortly after launch from China. It was operated directly by the IRGC rather than Iran’s civilian space program, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.
Iranian military commanders directed the satellite to track major U.S. military installations in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Djibouti, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Time-stamped coordinate lists, satellite imagery, and orbital analysis show the satellite captured images of these sites in March, both before and after Iranian drone and missile strikes on the locations.
The report, citing the leaked documents, marks the first confirmed instance of Iran using a dedicated foreign spy satellite for real-time targeting of U.S. forces in the region. Experts told the Financial Times that the capability significantly expanded Tehran’s intelligence reach.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of China-Iran military cooperation.U.S. officials have not yet issued an official comment on the report.