China supplying Iran with targeting coordinates for US military assets, sources say

China is providing Iran with target coordinates for US military forces and equipment, utilizing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) obtained from satellites.

A source speaking to journalist Sasha Ingber stated that this intelligence consists largely of GEOINT and noted that this sharing did not begin with Operation Epic Fury.

The source said Beijing started sharing intelligence approximately 10 days to two weeks after the onset of the conflict, around March 10.

The source estimated that the White House is aware of China’s intelligence sharing with Iran, suggesting this is one of the reasons President Donald Trump postponed his meeting with counterpart Xi Jinping.

The summit was originally scheduled for late March or early April. Last week, the White House announced that Trump’s visit to Beijing had been rescheduled for May 14-15. Ingber was told the president looks forward to visiting China, anticipating a “positive meeting.”

When Ingber reported that China was sharing intelligence regarding US military personnel in Iran and that this influenced the postponement of Trump’s meeting with Xi, spokesperson Olivia Wales did not deny or question the information.

Instead, she stated via email: “Nothing provided to Iran by any other country is affecting our operational success.”

Wales used the same phrasing with Wall Street Journal reporters, who first reported that Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran.

Describing the ongoing success of Operation Epic Fury, Wales said:

“The US military has struck more than 10,000 targets and destroyed over 140 Iranian naval vessels; this has resulted in a 90% reduction in Iran’s missile and drone attacks. The terrorist Iranian regime continues to be crushed by the full might of the world’s deadliest fighting force.”

It remains unclear whether any US service members have been killed or wounded as a direct result of China’s intelligence sharing. The most recent known fatalities involved at least 13 troops on March 12 in western Iraq; US Central Command reported that a refueling aircraft collided with another plane in that instance.

The source further noted that China is collecting extensive intelligence on how the US conducts military operations, which would be invaluable to Beijing in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.

Nevertheless, the source said it remains difficult to gauge the exact rationale behind China’s decision to begin sharing target coordinates.