US-China tensions reach boiling point as Beijing is accused of helping Tehran during Iran war attack that killed American troops

China has been accused of helping Iran carry out a deadly drone and missile attack on American troops, according to a new report.Beijing reportedly supplied Tehran with high quality satellite images before Iran struck the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on July 17, sources told the Wall Street Journal.The attack took place while service members were sleeping, killing three and injuring four others. The strike was part of three attacks at the base in just 24 hours that marked a pivotal escalation in the war. The alleged collaboration provides the strongest evidence yet of the depths of China's support for Iran n during the conflict with the US, according to officials who also noted that the alleged collusion is proving deadly.US officials familiar with the details said that the satellite imagery was likely one of several tools Iran used to identify a strike location. The imagery helps analyze an attack's effectiveness and where to strike again. Iran also uses its own satellite technology and imagery from Russia, sources told the Journal. The US reportedly questioned Chinese counterparts on the technology, but they refused to acknowledge that their companies were connected. President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Donald Trump in DC later this month following a meeting in Beijing in the spring. The anticipated reunion comes after allegations that Chinese companies supplied satellite imagery to Iran which aided in a fatal strike on US troops Iran struck the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on July 17, resulting in three fatalities. The victims were honored at a military ceremony on July 22 Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth saluted soldiers as they carried fallen service members A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy argued that China's alleged cooperation with Iran did not violate international law, adding that the allegations were 'maliciously linking and smearing other countries.' The discovery could complicate Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to Washington DC in a decade, which is set to take place on September 24. Trump visited Beijing last May to smooth over tensions over sanctions and export restrictions. The two met last year to extend a truce that paused additional US tariffs and postponed China's plan to enforce a tax on its rare-earth exports. The truce expires on November 10. China also has its eye on dominance in the Middle East, supplying Iran with resources to destabilize the region. The State Department announced sanctions on China-based entities in May for providing satellite imagery that enabled Iranian military strikes. 'The United States will continue to take action to hold China-based entities accountable for their support to Iran and ensure Iran cannot reconstitute its proliferation-sensitive programs following Operation Epic Fury,' the department said in a fact sheet. 'The targeting of US service members and partners will not go unanswered.'The department claimed that Meentropy Technology, a China-based geospatial intelligence firm, published open-source images of US military activity, and a company called Earth Eye shared satellite imagery with Iran. Footage showed Iranian ballistic missiles striking the base. It is now believed that Iran used Chinese satellite technology to aid the strike Three soldiers were killed at the Jordan air base in July (left to right): Pvt Isabella Gonzales, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan and Sgt. Angel S. RampersadMizarVision, Earth Eye and Chang Guang faced sanctions in the spring after the Trump administration accused them of providing images that could help Iran target US forces. Chang Guang was also accused of providing satellite imagery to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen last year. Sources did not share which companies were involved with the July 17 attack. Private companies still operate under government oversight in China and often have ties to the Communist Party. Three soldiers at the base were later identified as the fatalities in the strike. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, and Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, were the first victims publicly identified. New Yorker Angel Rampersad, 28, was briefly reported as missing before her remains were also discovered.US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced after the attacks that it was retaliating against Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, but did not initially disclose the strikes on American troops in Jordan.In the days after the July 17 attack, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and told reporters afterward: 'Nothing that China has done has in any way changed the trajectory of the conflict.'The Daily Mail has reached out to the Pentagon, the White House and the Chinese Embassy for comment.