Iran obtained high-resolution satellite imagery of a U.S. military base in Jordan from Chinese entities before conducting an attack in July that resulted in the deaths of three American service members, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing U.S. officials.
The satellite images were of Al-Tanf Air Base, also known as Muwaffaq Salti base, located in Jordan. The attack occurred on July 17.
U.S. officials declined to identify the specific Chinese entities that provided the imagery to Iran and did not accuse the Chinese government of direct involvement in supplying the photographs, according to the report.
Senior officials in the Trump administration had warned their Chinese counterparts in preceding months about Chinese companies providing satellite imagery to Iran, cautioning that Tehran could use such images to target American personnel and assets in the region, the Wall Street Journal reported.
U.S. officials told the outlet that Iran's capability to identify and target objectives improved during the summer months. They characterized the technology and satellite imagery obtained from Chinese sources as a distinct area where Washington could attempt to exert pressure, distinguishing it from other forms of intelligence available to Tehran.
The three American service members killed in the July attack were among those stationed at the base in Jordan, which serves as a key U.S. military installation in the Middle East.