IRGC used UAE network to secretly import Chinese satellite gear: Report
The shipment reportedly included a 4.5-metre motorised satellite antenna along with accessories and other communication devices, packed into six large cases.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) allegedly used a UAE-based network to secretly procure advanced Chinese satellite communication equipment linked to its drone and missile programme, according to a report by the Financial Times.
Leaked shipping records and contracts reviewed by the newspaper showed that a company named Telesun, based in Ras al Khaimah in the UAE, arranged the transfer of nearly 1.8 tonnes of Chinese-made satellite antenna and communication equipment from Shanghai to Iran via Dubai in late 2025.
The shipment reportedly included a 4.5-metre motorised satellite antenna along with accessories and other communication devices, packed into six large cases. According to the report, the cargo was first unloaded at Dubai's Jebel Ali port by a Chinese vessel before being picked up by an Iranian ship, Rama III, which later transported it to Bandar Abbas in Iran.
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The report further claimed that Rama III attempted to conceal its movements by broadcasting false GPS coordinates near Oman while heading towards Iran. Satellite imagery later showed a vessel matching the ship docked at Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas.
The equipment was allegedly intended for the IRGC Aerospace Force and delivered to an Iranian telecom company connected to Saman Industrial Group, which the US sanctioned in December 2023 over alleged links to Iran's missile and drone programmes.
US authorities have previously accused Saman of helping Iran acquire drone-related technology through intermediary firms operating in multiple countries. The European Union has also sanctioned the IRGC-linked entity over allegations that it supplied Iranian drones to Russia.
Shipping documents reviewed by the FT also identified Blue Calm Marine Services as the Iranian shipping agent involved in handling the cargo. The US sanctioned the company in 2023 for allegedly assisting in the transport of missile materials to Iran's defence ministry.
The report added that similar satellite and communication capabilities were later used by the IRGC during attacks targeting US military bases in the Middle East, incidents that reportedly killed 13 American service members and injured hundreds more.
The UAE later became a major target of Iranian retaliation following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, with Tehran reportedly launching more than 2,800 drones and missiles at the Gulf state, including strikes on civilian areas.
