Overview
- The Financial Times, which published its investigation Wednesday, reported the IRGC acquired the Chinese-built TEE‑01B in late 2024 after a roughly RMB 250 million payment documented in leaked files.
- Leaked logs and orbital data indicate commanders tasked the satellite to image U.S. sites, including Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base on March 13–15 around strikes that damaged aircraft.
- Earth Eye sold the spacecraft under an in‑orbit delivery model, and the deal included Emposat ground‑station access that let Iranian operators steer the satellite and receive imagery from a global network.
- TEE‑01B’s roughly 0.5‑metre images marked a sharp upgrade over Iran’s Noor‑3 at about 5 metres, enabling identification of aircraft and more precise checks after attacks.
- China calls the reporting fabricated, and Reuters notes U.S. agencies and the firms involved have not verified it, a gap that has fueled scrutiny of commercial space links and public tariff threats.