Iran seeks China’s help for its surveillance satellites

Iran seeks China’s help to improve its surveillance satellite capabilities (Europa Press/Contacto/Iranian Defence Ministry)

Iran is seeking partnerships with two Chinese satellite companies, Western security officials say, as seeks to expand its remote surveillance and intelligence gathering capabilitiespotentially including high-resolution imagery of military targets in Israel and throughout the Middle East.

The outreach has included multiple delegation exchanges in recent months between Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Chinese companies, both manufacturers and operators of remote-sensing satellites with sophisticated cameras, according to U.S., European and Middle Eastern officials with access to intelligence reports describing the meetings.

Iran’s courtship of the two companies is being closely watched amid concerns that any deal that emerges could allow Iran to dramatically improve its ability to spy on U.S. and Israeli military installationsas well as those of Arab rivals in the Persian Gulf, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence. The two companies offer a line of satellites with optical equipment that is at least twice as sensitive as the most advanced satellites operated by Iran.

The visits come amid closer ties between Beijing and Tehran following the signing of a 25-year pact on political and economic cooperation by the two countries’ foreign ministers three years ago. Previously, Iran had sought help from Russia to develop a network of Iranian-controlled surveillance satellites.assistance that has expanded as Russia has become dependent on Iran as a supplier of attack drones used in its war against Ukraine.

A confidential evaluation seen by The Washington Post warns that a deal with China could provide Iran with enhanced detection capabilities for its ballistic missile arsenal, as well as early warning systems to detect impending attacks. Iran could then be in a position to supply satellite-derived intelligence to allies such as Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have launched missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, or to Syrian and Iraqi militias responsible for drone and rocket attacks on US military bases in the region. Previously, Iran has provided such groups with satellite images purchased from China.the document said.

While there are no reports of a formal agreement yet, the assessment described a blossoming relationship between Tehran and one of the companies, Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co.with several delegation exchanges and long stays of IRGC operatives and officials in China. Chang Guang, based in Changchun in northeastern China’s Jilin province, makes small, low-cost “cubesat” satellites with optical equipment still capable of producing images with a resolution as fine as 30 centimeters, a capability comparable to that of the most sophisticated commercial satellite companies in the U.S. and Europe. Iran’s Khayyam satellite produces images with a resolution of about 1 meter.

Iranian officials were also seeking a business deal with the company. MinoSpace Technology Co.based in Beijing and which makes the Taijing series of remote sensing satellites, and participated in an exchange of delegations with it, the assessment said.

None of the Chinese companies are under U.S. or international economic sanctions. The IRGC’s Quds Force, an elite unit that conducts operations overseas, faces multiple U.S. sanctions. for alleged support for terrorist operations.

Chang Guang and MinoSpace did not respond to emails seeking comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not respond to a request for information about the reported contacts with the Chinese firms.

Chang Guang was embroiled in controversy last year following reports that it provided satellite services and imagery to the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Reports linked the company to a $30 million deal signed by Wagner officials in November 2022, nine months after the start of Russia’s large-scale military invasion of Ukraine.

China, one of Iran’s most important military partners historically, suspended most of its arms sales to Tehran around 2005 as Western countries were tightening sanctions over Iran’s expanding nuclear program. Relations with Beijing gradually improved over the past decade, starting with a 2015 Chinese deal to supply Iran with satellite navigation technology that allowed Tehran to improve the accuracy of its missiles and drones.

Many electronic components for Iranian aircraft originate in China. Under the 2021 deal, The two countries have committed to training exercises and future joint development of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

China is now Iran’s largest customer for oil products, and trade between the two countries has flourished, reaching $32 billion last year. But that figure is small compared to China’s trade with Iran’s biggest Gulf rivals: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

While Beijing has made progress toward improving its alliance with Tehran, Chinese officials have remained cautious about providing the kind of military aid that could inflame tensions with Iran’s neighbors or trigger international sanctions against Chinese companies. China has also appeared wary of contributing to an escalation in the Middle East that could close vital Gulf shipping lanes to oil tankers.

Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, China has repeatedly criticised the US for its role in the region while calling on all parties to end the violence. It has not publicly condemned Hamas, a group strongly supported by Iran.

Analysts said China may believe it has legitimate civilian cover to assist Iran’s space program, as surveillance satellites have many non-military uses, such as environmental monitoring and disaster response.

“It is certainly plausible that Chinese companies are working with Iran on surveillance technology, as it is not the same as providing weapons from the Chinese point of view,” he said. Gary Samorea former senior arms control adviser in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and who serves as director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University. “The Chinese try to stay out of politics. The Middle East is a source of oil and gas, and they don’t want to compromise their relationships with the Saudis and the Emiratis.”

Moscow, meanwhile, remains the biggest booster of Iran’s burgeoning space program. Russia has launched at least two Iranian surveillance satellites into orbit since 2022, including the Pars-1 remote-sensing satellite, which was sent into space in February aboard a Russian Soyuz-2 rocket. Iran claimed to have successfully launched four satellites in January using its own rockets. Three were communications satellites, and the fourth was a remote-sensing orbiter operated by the IRGC.