Late last evening, our dear leader posted this on his Truth Social platform:

Among the Radical Left Morons and Lunatics are CNN (“Intelligence from Chinese groups aiding in Iran’s increasingly effective targeting of US sites, sources say” – Sept. 25)

Satellite imagery and intelligence support provided by Chinese groups have helped Iran threaten ships in the Strait of Hormuz and launch precision strikes on US military bases in the Middle East, part of a dramatic improvement in Iranian targeting capabilities over the past several months, according to a series of recent American intelligence assessments described to CNN by four sources.

The imagery allowed Iran to strike a US base in Jordan in July, a strike that killed three American service members, with a level of precision US officials believe was otherwise beyond Iran’s capabilities, the sources said.

Chinese geospatial data has also enhanced Iran’s ability to track ships through the strait, giving Iranian drones and missiles a higher chance of successfully hitting targets, according to one of the officials. Two other sources said the data has allowed Iran to use otherwise unsophisticated heatseeking drones that cannot be maneuvered in midair to threaten ships by helping time launches.

The Chinese support helps explain how Iran has steadily become more accurate as sporadic waves of strikes have been launched in recent months, though sources indicated it’s one of several factors increasing Iranian military effectiveness. Russia has also been providing Tehran with support, and some officials have pointed to Iranian forces’ mounting combat experience during the conflict as key factors.

US officials say that it’s difficult to precisely quantify the scope of China’s assistance, in part because it’s not clear whether the Chinese government has ordered it or is merely tacitly allowing the support, and some officials disagree about how much Beijing is helping. A fifth source familiar with US intelligence noted that recent reporting has suggested China would prefer that the disruptions in the strait, which have ratcheted up global oil prices, cease.

And the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (“Enabling Iran: A Timeline of China’s Role During and After Operation Epic Fury” – Sept. 1):

August 30, 2026 

• [Media] In an Associated Press interview, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that “all options are on the table” regarding possible U.S. sanctions on China over its purchases of Iranian oil. Bessent said he planned to raise the issue with Chinese counterparts at the G20. He also said the United States and China agree on the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. 

August 28, 2026 

• [Statement] Responding to a question about President Trump’s suggestion that the United States could sanction Chinese entities linked to Iran, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that dialogue and negotiation are the “only way to resolve” the Iran conflict. He reiterated Beijing’s opposition to what it calls illegal unilateral sanctions.  

[…]

August 25, 2026 

• [Statement] In response to questions about U.S. sanctions targeting entities supporting Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China opposes what it refers to as illegal unilateral sanctions lacking a basis in international law or UN Security Council authorization. He said “economic warfare” and maximum pressure would intensify tensions and “harm the legitimate rights and interests of other countries.”  

August 24, 2026 

• [Sanctions] The U.S. Department of Treasury launched Operation Economic Outcast, a whole-of-government economic campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its enablers. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) expanded the categories of Iran-related conduct that may be subject to secondary sanctions, issuing determinations against five critical sectors, including digital assets, technology, gold, aviation, and shipping. OFAC also sanctioned nearly 60 individuals, entities, and vessels tied to Iranian oil sales, nuclear and missile-technology procurement, cyber operations, and global export control evasion. The measures also target third-country facilitators, including entities in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UAE, and Europe. 
• [Sanctions] The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned a China-and Hong Kong-linked procurement and logistics network that it said supported Iran’s access to critical technology for nuclear research and ballistic-missile development. Treasury said the network used front companies, covert financial channels, and logistics intermediaries across East Asia to obscure Iranian end users and evade global export controls.
• [Economic/Trade] Reuters reported that China remains Iran’s largest oil customer but that Chinese imports of Iranian crude had declined sharply amid conflict-related shipping disruptions and renewed U.S. efforts to restrict Iran’s oil exports. Citing Kpler ship-tracking data, Reuters reported Chinese imports averaging approximately 785,000 barrels per day (bpd) in June, an estimated 823,000 bpd in July, and stood at a provisional 534,000 bpd month-to-date in August, compared with a 2025 average of roughly 1.4 million bpd. 

[…]

July 28, 2026 

• [Military/Defense] Reuters reported that Iran is expected to receive a $60–70 million shipment of Chinese-made shoulder-fired missile launchers within weeks. The purchase includes 300 to 400 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), such as the Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, which can be used to engage low-flying aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and helicopters. A Hong Kong-based intermediary facilitated the deal between the Iranian side and the Chinese supplier. 

[…]

July 3, 2026

• [Event] Vice Chairman of China’s National People’s Congress He Wei attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and met with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Ghalibaf. Iranian leaders thanked China, stating that “Iran will remember China’s long-term valuable support” and is willing to strengthen relations to a “new level.”

[…]

June 10, 2026

• [Sanctions] The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned nine China- and Hong Kong-based entities and individuals for facilitating financial transactions and weapons procurement on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).

[…]

May 29, 2026

• [Military/Defense] NBC News, citing anonymous U.S. officials, reported that the F-15 fighter plane shot down over southwestern Iran in April was probably struck by a Chinese-made shoulder-launched missile. 

May 28, 2026

• [Sanctions] The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned several Hong Kong-based companies operating on behalf of Sepehr Energy Jahan, the oil sales arm of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff. Treasury reported that the companies helped transport, store, finance, or facilitate shadow fleet deliveries of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products to Chinese buyers. 

[…]

May 8, 2026

• [Sanctions] The U.S. Department of State sanctioned three China-based entities for supporting Iran’s military activities during Operation Epic Fury. The State Department reported that MizarVision, The Earth Eye, and Chuang Guang published open source imagery of U.S. military activity during Operation Epic Fury and supplied satellite imagery of U.S. and allied military facilities to Iranian forces that enabled Iran’s military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. 
• [Sanctions] The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned the China-based company Yushita for facilitating Iranian weapons acquisition, including efforts by Iran to acquire Chinese shoulder-launched missiles. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also sanctioned the China-based company Hitex Insulation for supplying carbon fiber, honeycomb fabric, and other raw aerospace-grade materials to the IRGC’s Aerospace Force. 

Whether intelligence support and arms sales enabling the targeting of American service members and helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions constitutes a “very low level” is debatable, I suppose. But Trump’s own Treasury Department seems to think it significant enough to repeatedly act.