Iran reportedly acquired high-resolution satellite imagery from China both before and after a missile strike on an American base in Jordan in July that resulted in the deaths of three US soldiers.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing US officials, Tehran launched ballistic missiles on 17 July against Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in north-eastern Jordan. The missiles struck the barracks where American soldiers were sleeping, killing three service members and wounding four others.

The report stated that the Donald Trump administration had repeatedly warned Beijing in the months preceding the attack that Chinese companies could provide satellite imagery to Tehran. In May, the US imposed sanctions on the China-based companies MizarVision, Earth Eye, and Chang Guang.

Beijing rejects the allegations

Officials noted that following the attack, the Tehran administration published high-resolution images showing the damage sustained at the base. The American side reportedly presented documents demonstrating the link to the Jordan attack to Chinese counterparts; however, Beijing rejected these contentions and demanded concrete evidence.

Officials cited in the report stated that Beijing does not accept the claim that Chinese companies provided support to Tehran. According to the report, the officials did not disclose the names of the companies that provided the satellite imagery, nor did they claim that the Beijing government was directly involved in the incident.

Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said the accusations were “malicious” and maintained that cooperation between China and Iran is conducted entirely in accordance with international law.

The report assessed that these allegations could escalate tensions between the two countries ahead of a summit planned between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on 24 September.

Trump reportedly told his team that maintaining good relations with Beijing and Xi was a priority, leading senior American officials to avoid open confrontations that could overshadow the summit. According to the report, officials are particularly playing down the scale of potential support China could provide to Iran in public.

Washington concerned over naval forces

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi a few days after the base attack in July. Rubio avoided giving a direct answer when asked whether China provided intelligence data to Tehran, saying, “No action by China has in any way altered the course of the conflict.”

Sources speaking to the newspaper stated that the American administration is also concerned that Beijing could assist Tehran in tracking US naval forces. In recent days, Iran launched ballistic missiles at an American aircraft carrier and other military vessels.

In a report published during the summer, the Reuters news agency claimed that China was planning a major shipment of man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS) to Iran via Pakistan, an allegation denied by both the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Donald Trump, for his part, announced that during their face-to-face meeting in Beijing, Xi Jinping personally assured him that the Chinese state and companies would under no circumstances provide military support to Tehran.

Iran has resumed ballistic missile production in underground facilities, despite statements by Israeli and US authorities asserting that this capacity had been completely eliminated.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing US and Middle Eastern officials, the Tehran administration is utilizing pre-stockpiled components in the manufacturing process.

Officials report that despite strikes on missile sites and industrial installations at the beginning of the war, Iran continues the assembly of both solid- and liquid-fuelled missiles.

Intelligence data indicates activity at numerous underground centres, including the Khojir complex in the southeast of the country, along with efforts to establish additional underground assembly points to protect against new air strikes.

Current assembly operations are being maintained at lower volumes compared with pre-war levels, as US and Israeli operations destroyed several facilities and a naval blockade has impeded the import of components and solid-fuel ingredients.

Assessing the process, Tal Inbar, a senior analyst at the US-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, stressed that damaged infrastructure can be repaired during periods when facilities are not targeted, and parts procured from other countries can be stored there.

Inbar noted that it would be naive to believe Iran is not rebuilding its missile production capacity.

Arguing that the facilities were destroyed and Tehran has suffered severe losses, the official stated that Iran remains weaker than ever before, and US President Donald Trump will never permit the country to acquire nuclear weapons.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that the US has destroyed up to 90% of Iran’s drone, ballistic missile, and naval industrial infrastructure, severely degrading Tehran’s ability to launch missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Another US government official pointed out that the Tehran administration may have revived production, albeit on a low scale, following preliminary talks conducted in mid-June with the Trump administration regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war. The official noted that existing stockpiles are sufficient to assemble at least two hundred missiles.

A CNN report in late May indicated that the Tehran administration was attempting to reopen underground missile shelters, struck by the US and Israel with costly munitions, using bulldozers and dump trucks.

Excavation activities accelerated after the April ceasefire decision; out of 69 tunnel entrances struck across 18 distinct locations, 50 have been made accessible again.

Experts stressed that it is impossible to destroy missile power solely by bombing tunnel entrances, underlining the limitations of such bombardments.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed in April that they had effectively ended Iran’s missile programme. However, an NBC News report noted that Tehran utilized the ceasefire period to reconstitute its military strength.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has requested that US President Donald Trump launch air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

According to two US officials who spoke to Axios, Trump rejected the request, and US officials emphasised that the administration has no plans for direct intervention against the Houthis for now.

Oil prices surged on Thursday after the resistance led by Houthi militias (Ansarallah) seized the strategic coastal city of Mokha in Yemen.

This development brought the Yemeni resistance one step closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is vital for global trade and Saudi oil exports.

With Iran already disrupting traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi control over Bab el-Mandeb could provide Tehran with powerful new leverage over the US and its Gulf allies.

On Thursday, as Houthi forces advanced towards the coastal city of Mokha and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retreated, bin Salman telephoned Trump to brief him on the deteriorating situation.

A few hours later, the prince called again to request that Trump carry out US air strikes against the Houthis.

Trump declined, but a US official stated that the administration would provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting data on the Houthis.

The official noted that approximately 200 US military personnel are currently stationed in Saudi Arabia, providing non-military support.

A senior Trump administration official indicated that Washington’s priority is keeping the Red Sea open, while leaving the broader fight to regional partners.

“We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of Yemen regarding regional stability,” the official said.

The official continued:

“The US remains focused on protecting our core national security interests, such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges.”

The US is concerned by the rapidly escalating conflict in Yemen and is seeking to avoid direct military intervention while increasing its support for Saudi Arabia.

According to two sources familiar with the matter, Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings.

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemeni resistance forces reignited in July after Riyadh blocked an Iranian aircraft carrying senior Houthi officials from landing in Sanaa following their return from Ali Khamenei’s funeral.

Bin Salman requested Trump’s political support to strike Sanaa airport, but made clear that Saudi Arabia did not require US military assistance. Trump granted his support.

The Houthis subsequently retaliated by attacking Saudi tankers in the Red Sea. These strikes threatened a route crucial to the kingdom’s oil exports, and the group later expanded its attacks to Saudi energy facilities.

Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies responded with air strikes and ground operations against Houthi positions.

Saudi Arabia’s request for direct US military intervention marks a sharp reversal from July, when Riyadh informed Washington that it could manage the Houthis on its own.

As clashes intensified, the Saudis began seeking progressively greater support from the US.

Sources close to the discussions noted that in recent weeks, US military and civilian officials informed their Saudi counterparts that Trump’s directive is to keep American forces focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, and to avoid opening a new front.