WASHINGTON, United States: US officials have linked Chinese satellite imagery to an Iranian missile strike in Jordan that killed three American soldiers, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The report said Tehran obtained high-resolution imagery from Chinese entities before and after the July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
Ballistic missiles struck a housing area at the base, killing three US troops and wounding four others, according to officials cited by the Journal.
Washington has not accused the Chinese government of direct involvement. The identities of the Chinese suppliers were also not disclosed.
Read: Iran Attack on Jordan Base Damages US Military Aircraft
Senior US officials raised the issue with Chinese counterparts, who denied the allegations and demanded evidence. China’s Foreign Ministry also accused unnamed parties of trying to link Beijing to the conflict.
The allegation comes ahead of a planned September 24 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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The Journal said the Trump administration has sought to limit public friction with Beijing ahead of those talks. Washington sanctioned three Chinese companies in May for selling imagery to Iran.
US officials are now concerned that Chinese data could also be helping Tehran track and target American warships in the region, the Journal reported.
