Satellite imagery and intelligence support provided by Chinese groups have helped Iran threaten ships in the Strait of Hormuz and launch precision strikes on US military bases in the Middle East, part of a dramatic improvement in Iranian targeting capabilities over the past several months, according to a series of recent American intelligence assessments described to CNN by four sources.
The imagery allowed Iran to strike a US base in Jordan in July, a strike that killed three American service members, with a level of precision US officials believe was otherwise beyond Iran’s capabilities, the sources said.
US officials say that it’s difficult to precisely quantify the scope of China’s assistance, in part because it’s not clear whether the Chinese government has ordered it or is merely tacitly allowing the support, and some officials disagree about how much Beijing is helping. A fifth source familiar with US intelligence noted that recent reporting has suggested China would prefer that the disruptions in the strait, which have ratcheted up global oil prices, cease.
0:00 Sources: Chinese groups provided satellite imagery & intel to Iran
1:09 CNN’s Kylie Atwood reports on China intelligence provided to Iran
3:31 CNN global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh unpacks new reports
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