By BlueShift | 2026-04-14

Though China ostensibly supports a ceasefire in the Iran conflict, its actions behind the scenes tell another story, with its provision of space technology fundamentally enhancing Iran's ability to disrupt global maritime trade.

Iran has imposed an effective blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil trade passes, since February 28, sending ripple effects throughout the global economy.

China publicly backed Pakistan's ultimately unsuccessful mediation efforts, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on April 8 stating that the Asian superpower would welcome a ceasefire agreement.

Yet on April 7, China had joined Russia to veto a UN Security Council resolution on reopening the key shipping lane, a text already diluted to remove Gulf states' desired green light to use force to protect it, AFP reported.

Bahrain's foreign minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said Gulf states "regret" the outcome, noting that the failure to pass the resolution "sends the wrong signal to the world."

As Iran's largest trading partner, China purchases more than 80% of its exported oil, often at steep discounts and in defiance of sanctions, providing vital revenue for the Iranian regime.

The two nations signed a 25-year cooperation agreement in 2021, which outlines their long-term collaboration in the economic, security and technological sectors.

Under this agreement, China provides technology to Iran, including access to satellite surveillance technology the regime allegedly uses to spy on US military assets and movements amid the current conflict.

In recent months, social media sleuths have been flagging posts detailing equipment at US bases, movements of US carrier groups and breakdowns of how military aircraft are assembling, the Washington Post reported April 4.

The intelligence comes from a fast growing new market, "Chinese firms -- some with links to the People’s Liberation Army," the newspaper said.

These firms -- among them Hangzhou-based MizarVision -- have combined artificial intelligence with open-source data "to market information they claim can 'expose' the movements of US forces," it added.

US officials and intelligence experts are divided over whether Chinese firms’ publicly marketed tools pose a genuine threat or are being credibly used by US adversaries, the newspaper noted.

But they say the surge in private-sector offerings "points to a growing security risk and reflects Beijing’s intent to project the strength of its intelligence capabilities."

China's 'silent' support

While China condemned the killing of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, it also has criticized Iran's attacks on the Gulf states, AFP reported.

"Beijing has stopped short of overt military involvement, emphasizing restraint and diplomacy," said Middle East Institute senior fellow John Calabrese.

But Iran may be using China's BeiDou satellite navigation system for drone and missile strikes, former French intelligence director Alain Juillet told the independent Tocsin podcast.

BeiDou is a global positioning satellite system owned and operated by the China National Space Administration.

"China’s support is more 'silent' but arguably more critical for Tehran’s precision strike capabilities," geopolitical and intelligence analysis platform SpecialEurasia said in a March 1 report.

"By providing the 'connective tissue' for Iran’s defense -- specifically high-resolution imagery and jam-resistant targeting," China has "ensured that Iran does not fight in a vacuum," it said.

Iran has transitioned its military architecture to BeiDou, which gives it access to encrypted, high-precision, jam-resistant military signals, according to the report.

China uses its fleet of more than 500 satellites to provide Iran with constant signals intelligence (SIGINT) and terrain mapping, which helps Iran track US naval movements in Gulf waters in real-time, it said.

Meanwhile, Tehran is reportedly finalizing a deal for CM-302 supersonic missiles, aka "carrier killers," significantly boosting its ability to close the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources cited by Reuters.

China has officially denied these reports.

The missiles use inertial navigation combined with BeiDou satellite navigation and an active radar seeker for terminal guidance.

China also has supplied advanced UHF-band radars like the YLC-8B, which uses low-frequency waves to negate the radar-absorbent coatings used by US stealth bombers and fighters, according to SpecialEurasia.

Iran's access to China's BeiDou

China has avoided formal defense commitments to Iran, underscoring the asymmetric nature of the relationship.

Yet it has supplied Iran with drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and related components, to aid in its aerial and maritime defense capabilities, the Atlantic Council reported March 25.

China has officially denied these reports.

China also facilitates the transfer of domestic and imported navigation technology to Iran, with Chinese electronics markets and distributors playing a critical role in this process.

Components originally manufactured for civilian applications -- such as inertial sensors or satellite navigation modules -- can be purchased through Chinese intermediaries and integrated into Iranian weapons systems.

"Back in 2015, Iran reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate BeiDou‑2 into its military infrastructure," China-Iran relations specialist Theo Nencini, a research fellow at the ChinaMed Project, told Al Jazeera.

Implementation is understood to be gradual, but appears to have accelerated after Iran and China signed their strategic partnership agreement in March 2021.

This is when China is believed to have granted Iran access to BeiDou’s encrypted military signals, though Iran is believed to have only completed its full transition to BeiDou in June 2025.

"From then on, the Iranian military began incorporating BeiDou into the guidance of missiles and drones, and into certain secure communication networks," Nencini said.

Since the start of the war, Iran has used BeiDou to produce decoy signals to confuse threat analysis and conceal actual Iranian military movements.

Technology used in other conflicts

In addition to enabling Iran to threaten international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Chinese capabilities have been extended to Iran's proxies, including the Houthis in Yemen, enabling their disruption of Bab al-Mandeb strait.

US government officials in April 2025 accused private, state-linked Chinese space company Chang Guang Satellite Technology of supporting the Houthis in their attacks on international vessels transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The company provided the Houthis with satellite imagery used to target US and international vessels in the Red Sea, Defense One reported in May 2025.

The Houthis began targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November 2023, preventing ships from passing through Bab al-Mandeb and the Suez Canal -- a vital trade route between Asia and Europe.

Their actions forced many into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.

"Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company... is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on US interests," US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said at the time.

"Their actions -- and Beijing's support of the company, even after our private engagements with them -- is yet another example of China's empty claims to support peace," she said.

The United States sanctioned Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company in 2023 for allegedly providing high-resolution imagery to Russian private military company Wagner, which played a major role in Moscow's war against Ukraine.

For India, the Chinese intervention in Iran is a reminder of how Beijing’s satellites provided real-time information about India’s military activities during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May 2025, The Tribune India reported.

Last year, after Operation Sindoor, India's Deputy Chief of Army Lt Gen Rahul R Singh revealed that Pakistan was receiving "live updates" and intelligence regarding Indian troop movements and weapon deployments, the outlet said.

"The intelligence provided by China reportedly included targeting data and logistics information to help Pakistan counter Indian actions during the four-day conflict," it noted.