U.S. President Donald Trump downplays a report that Chinese entities supplied Iran with satellite imagery of a military base in Jordan before an attack in July that killed three American soldiers. The claim is reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed U.S. officials, and is discussed in coverage from Deutsche Welle and other outlets.
Asked whether he would raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping at an upcoming meeting, Trump does not directly answer. Instead, he responds that China and the United States carry out similar surveillance activities, saying in effect that if China “spies” on the U.S., the U.S. also spies on China. The reporting describes Trump’s position as dismissive, focusing on his comparison of intelligence practices rather than addressing the specific allegation about Chinese support.
The different outlets largely align on the central points: the reported intelligence linkage, the July attack in Jordan, Trump’s decision not to engage the allegation directly with Xi, and his broader statement about reciprocal spying. They vary mainly in emphasis and wording rather than in the underlying facts reported.
