US officials have linked high-resolution satellite imagery provided by Chinese organizations to an Iranian missile strike on a base in Jordan in July that killed three US service members, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the incident.
Tehran has obtained images of the Jordanian base before and after the attack on July 17. Iranian ballistic missiles hit a residential area at the base where US troops were stationed.
The WSJ calls this evidence that China's support for Iran during the war had deadly consequences for US forces.
China, according to the publication, has denied the allegations and has demanded evidence. China's Foreign Ministry called the information an attempt to link Beijing to the conflict.
The findings about the Chinese images escalate tensions between the United States and China ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24. According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. administration is seeking to avoid a public confrontation with Beijing so as not to jeopardize the summit.