In an exclusive ABC report, US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) sources credit the Chinese geospatial AI company MizarVision with releasing AI-enhanced satellite images of US military bases in the Middle East, which are believed to be used by the Iranian military to identify and attack targets such as air defense systems and deployed equipment.
Once the domain of national intelligence agencies, this imagery now provides direct tactical advantages to adversaries by identifying and tagging military assets with extremely high precision, sometimes down to sub-square meters.
The images attributed to the company are not officially part of China’s military organization, but National military standard certificationa required designation for companies eligible to provide services to the People’s Liberation Army. The document, which the company circulated on social media platforms in China and the West, described in unusual detail the buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East ahead of the start of Operation Epic Fury.
The footage included annotated trajectories of carrier strike groups from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R.
According to ABC, these images and analyzes are being circulated on public platforms and US analysts say they are “putting lives at risk” by accelerating Iran’s ability to select, plan and execute missile and drone strikes against US and allied forces.
Retired Australian Defense Force Major General Gus McLachlan also expressed concern that this enhanced targeting capability could put allied forces, particularly Australian soldiers, at risk.
A Washington Post investigation confirms and expands on these concerns, reporting that private Chinese companies with ties to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), such as MizarVision and Jing’an Technology, sell detailed intelligence products built from AI analysis of satellite imagery, flight tracking, and maritime data.
Rather than using real-time U.S. government information, the company uses artificial intelligence to process publicly available Western satellite imagery, according to a Chinese civil defense official familiar with the company’s platform.
“While there are limitations, the advantage is that we can use this data to specifically track the U.S. military… which is not common in Western companies,” the official told the Post.
The Post also reported that China’s broader civil-military integration This strategy helps focus the advanced AI and geospatial capabilities of private companies on areas of strategic interest, even if those companies are formally “commercial.”
Although Beijing has publicly distanced itself from the conflict, analysts have warned that this approach allows Chinese companies to serve as indirect agents of intelligence gathering to benefit Iran’s military strategy.
The use of AI-driven satellite intelligence complicates the U.S. military’s efforts to maintain operational security. In response to these developments, U.S. authorities have reportedly pressured major commercial satellite providers, such as Planet Labs, to withhold or restrict imagery over Middle East conflict zones to prevent adversaries from exploiting up-to-date footage of U.S. assets and facilities, a policy that effectively limits open access to potentially sensitive geospatial data.
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