US officials have tied high-resolution satellite images supplied by Chinese entities to an Iranian missile strike that killed three American soldiers in Jordan in July, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Citing officials familiar with the matter, the Journal said Tehran obtained the imagery before and after the July 17 attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, where ballistic missiles hit a housing area, killing three American troops and wounding four others.
The report called it the clearest sign yet that Chinese assistance to Iran during the war has had deadly consequences for US forces.
Washington has not accused Beijing of direct involvement, and the identities of the Chinese suppliers were not disclosed, according to the report. It said senior US officials raised the matter with their Chinese counterparts, who denied the allegations and demanded evidence. The Chinese Foreign Ministry accused unnamed parties of trying to link it to the conflict.
The finding comes weeks before President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are due to meet on Sept. 24. The Journal said the administration has sought to avoid public friction with Beijing that could jeopardize the summit.
The report also said Washington sanctioned three Chinese firms in May for imagery sales to Iran, and that US officials are now also worried Chinese data may be helping Tehran target American warships in the region.
