China Profits from the Consequences of the War on Iran on Military and Economic Fronts / This Confrontation Gave Beijing an Opportunity to Monitor Washington's Military Capabilities and Strengthen Its Energy Security / China Benefited from the War in Several Areas: Monitoring U.S. Capabilities via Satellite Intelligence, Buying Discounted Iranian Oil, Using Strategic Reserves and Expanding Yuan-Based Trade

China did not directly enter the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran, but it benefited from the consequences of the war on both military and economic levels. The confrontation gave Beijing an opportunity to monitor U.S. military capabilities, strengthen its energy security and expand the use of the yuan in trade, at a time when U.S. military resources were under strain and Iran's economy was damaged.

Al Jazeera wrote: China did not directly enter the war between America and Israel against Iran, but it benefited from the consequences of this war on both military and economic levels. The confrontation provided an opportunity for Beijing to monitor US military capabilities, strengthen its energy security, and expand the use of the yuan in trade; That too in a situation where American military resources were under pressure and Iran's economy was damaged.

The report highlights three main ways China is profiting from the war:

* exploitation of information obtained from satellite images;

* Using China's position as the largest buyer of Iranian oil;

* Taking advantage of the turmoil in the energy markets to strengthen reserves and reduce the vulnerability of the Chinese economy to shocks.

However, these achievements do not mean that China has come out of the war without suffering damage or danger. Disruption in shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the intensification of the blockade of Iranian ports have made energy supply more complicated and increased the cost of its procurement.

satellite images; Information achievements

A report published by the "Wall Street Journal" newspaper in September 2026 and citing US officials indicated that Iran had received high-resolution satellite images of Moafaq al-Sulti Air Base in Jordan before the July 17 missile attack. In that attack, three American soldiers were killed and four others were wounded.

According to US officials, they made a connection between the images and the attack, but did not directly accuse the Chinese government of involvement in the attack, nor did they reveal the identity of the Chinese parties providing the images.

This case shows the growing importance of commercial satellite information in modern warfare; Images that provide the possibility of identifying the location of aircraft and military facilities, monitoring movements and assessing damages after attacks. According to Al Jazeera's report, Iran's access to images before and after the attack provided this country with information that could be used to determine the targets and evaluate the results of the attacks.

Last May, the United States imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies, MizarVision, The Earth Eye, and Changguang Satellite Technology. Washington accused these companies of providing images or satellite data that could be used to support Iran's military activities.

The US State Department announced that one of these companies had published images in public sources that revealed US military activities. Also, another company was accused of providing satellite images to Iran.

On the other hand, Beijing rejected the accusations and sanctions of the United States and emphasized that Chinese companies operate according to the law and the images cited by some reports are available from public sources.

Therefore, a distinction must be made between Iran's use of images of Chinese origin and proof that the Chinese government has decided to provide this information to Iran in support of a specific military attack.

The strategic value of these images is not limited to the current war. Examining US military movements and support and refueling patterns can help to better understand how US forces operate. However, the claim that China actually has access to a complete database on the US military, or that this information will determine the outcome of any potential future confrontation over Taiwan, remains an analytical inference that requires further evidence.

Iranian oil; A business relationship that became a strategic lever

Oil is the second way for China to benefit from the war.

According to the announcement published by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department in April 2026, China buys about 90% of Iran's oil exports. In the meantime, a number of independent Chinese refineries known as "tea refineries" play an important role. These refineries import and refine Iran's oil, which is subject to sanctions.

This trade relies on a complex network of tankers and middlemen; A network in which some vessels are suspected of using certain methods to hide the destination of cargo or transfer oil from one vessel to another in open waters. Some of these tankers are called "Shadow Fleet"; A term for ships that operate with the aim of circumventing surveillance and sanctions.

Discounted Iranian oil prices allow independent Chinese refineries to procure oil at a lower cost. On the other hand, Tehran also benefits from the continued presence of buyers for its oil, despite the sanctions.

Some active parties in this business have used the Chinese yuan to settle part of the transactions to reduce their dependence on the American financial system. However, this issue does not mean that all oil exchanges between Iran and China have been removed from the global financial system.

But the American naval blockade and war has changed this equation. The resumption of an Iran-linked shipping embargo in July has slowed oil shipments, prompting independent Chinese refiners to seek alternative sources from Iraq, Qatar and other countries, Reuters reports.

Reuters reported on October 6 that independent Chinese refiners have bought between 15 million and 20 million barrels of Iraqi and Qatari oil for delivery in October and November amid reduced Iranian oil supplies.

These developments show that China can no longer rely on Iranian oil to the same extent and frequency as before the blockade. The continuation of the war also brings more costs to meet the needs of this country from alternative sources.

energy reserves; A shield against market turmoil

China's preparation to deal with the energy crisis did not start only with the beginning of the war. Earlier, Beijing tried to reduce the vulnerability of its economy to the fluctuations of the global markets by storing oil and diversifying supply sources.

According to an analysis published by Reuters in July 2026, China has significantly reduced its crude oil imports since the start of the war. The country's crude oil import in June reached about 5.96 million barrels per day; While this figure was 10.66 million barrels per day before the start of the war.

Pre-stockpiled stocks and shipments heading to Asian markets at the time helped China cushion the impact of the supply disruption.

These reserves give China time to absorb market shocks for a while, but they do not eliminate the risk of higher prices or continued shipping disruptions.

Also, the supply of crude oil does not mean that China is immune from the crisis of refined fuels, especially diesel and jet fuel; Products affected by production and export restrictions and supply chain disruptions.

As a result, Beijing has benefited from its previous preparations, but at the same time it has been forced to change its oil purchasing pattern and increase its dependence on other suppliers. This situation shows that energy security does not depend only on the amount of reserves, but the country's ability to diversify resources, transfer cargoes and refine oil also plays a role in it.

partnership with Tehran; Broad interests and political prudence

The economic relations between China and Iran are based on the long-term strategic partnership agreement that was signed in 2021. About this agreement, reports have been published that estimate the value of China's possible investments within its framework over 25 years to 400 billion dollars.

However, this figure does not mean the investments that have actually been made, but rather an estimate related to cooperation programs in different sectors. Also, the existence of this agreement did not make Beijing directly enter into military intervention to protect Iran during the war.

According to Al Jazeera's report, China preferred to take a cautious approach and balance between its economic interests in Iran and its relations with the United States and the Persian Gulf countries.

In this way, Beijing tried to maintain its relations with Tehran, without entering into a military confrontation; A confrontation that could expose the commercial and diplomatic interests of this country to more risks.

In contrast, the turmoil in energy markets provided an opportunity for China to strengthen its role as one of the world's largest energy consumers; A country that can reduce the effect of shocks by using reserves and adjusting imports.

Also, the continued use of the yuan in part of the trade with Iran will help Beijing's efforts to expand the international use of its national currency. However, this alone is not enough to prove the weakening of the dollar's dominance over world trade.

Who will win at the end of the war?

Al Jazeera's report presents a picture of China that has benefited from the war in several areas: from monitoring US military capabilities using satellite information to buying discounted Iranian oil, taking advantage of strategic reserves and expanding exchanges with the yuan.