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President Trump has downplayed a Wall Street Journal report that Iran obtained satellite images of a Jordanian base from Chinese entities before a July strike that killed three American soldiers.

Getting into it: Asked aboard Air Force One, as he returned from a weekend trip to Ireland, whether he would raise the issue with Xi Jinping, Trump did not answer directly. “They basically do what we do,” he said. “When they say China spies on us, I say you’re right and we spy on them too.”

He added that he still sees his relationship with Xi as fine. “I think he’s behaved reasonably well, and we behave reasonably well.” The two are expected to meet in the US on Sept. 24, though Beijing has not confirmed the meeting.

The attack in question came on July 17, when Iranian ballistic missiles hit the sleeping quarters of American troops at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in northeastern Jordan, killing three soldiers and wounding four others who required medical evacuation. Manned and unmanned aircraft at the base were also targeted.

The heavily fortified installation was hit three times in 24 hours, resulting in the first US military deaths since the April ceasefire and raising questions about how exposed even well-defended bases actually are.

This comes as China maintains it played no role, with its foreign ministry on Monday rejecting the Journal’s reporting as groundless and insisting it opposes accusations made without evidence. China had already pushed back privately, with Chinese officials demanding proof when US officials raised the imagery transfer and refusing to acknowledge that Chinese companies supplied Tehran with the images.