Iran Secretly Bought Chinese Satellite Tech via UAE, Then Used It Against Gulf Country During War: Report

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) secretly purchased advanced satellite communication equipment from China through a UAE-based procurement network, according to an investigative report by the Financial Times citing leaked commercial contracts and shipping documents. The report said the same technology was later linked to Iran’s drone and missile programmes.

Significantly, the UAE-based companies involved in supplying the equipment were operating from the same Gulf nation that Iran later targeted with large-scale drone and missile attacks following the US-Israeli strikes. 

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Equipment Reached Iran Through UAE Route

According to the report, the IRGC Aerospace Force acquired a Chinese-made military-grade satellite antenna in late 2025 through Telesun, a company based in Ras al-Khaimah in the UAE. The 4.5-metre motorised antenna, weighing nearly 1.8 tonnes, was manufactured by the Chinese company StarWin. The shipment travelled from Shanghai to Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port before being moved to Iran aboard the Iranian vessel Rama III.

The report further claimed that the Iranian ship used GPS spoofing to conceal its actual route. While maritime tracking systems showed the vessel near Oman, satellite imagery reportedly did not place it there. Later satellite images showed a ship matching Rama III docked at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, the final destination mentioned in shipping documents.

Firms Linked To US-Sanctioned Network

According to the records, the equipment was shipped to Ertebatat Faragostar Kish (EFK), an Iranian telecom company, for a project connected to the Saman Industrial Group.

The US Treasury sanctioned Saman Group in 2023, alleging that it acted as a front company for the IRGC Aerospace Force’s research and development wing involved in drone, ballistic missile and electronic warfare programmes.

Pressure May Increase On UAE

The Financial Times report has renewed concerns in Western countries that Iran is using Gulf free-trade zones and offshore business networks to bypass sanctions and obtain sensitive military technology. Experts cited in the report said the UAE has long served as a key commercial hub for Iranian businesses, where oversight in some free zones is considered comparatively weak.

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The report also noted that Iran later launched more than 2,800 drones and missiles at the UAE in retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks, targeting several civilian and strategic locations, including areas linked to Abu Dhabi’s energy and financial infrastructure.

The US State Department said, “The United States will continue to take action against China-based entities that support Iran. Those targeting US troops and allies will be held accountable.”

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