During the recent U.S.-Israel military attack in Iran, several Western media outlets alleged that a private Chinese company supported Iran's military operations using AI technology. But is there any truth to these claims? Fact Check has looked into the matter.
An E-3 Sentry was destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, on March 27, 2026.
Baseless allegation
Some Western media recently reported that a private Chinese company called MizarVision uncovered U.S. military information in the Middle East through AI, helping Iran target U.S. and allied forces. These reports went on to suggest that China's technology ecosystem now poses an immediate and real threat. However, verification shows the company simply provides commercial mapping services.
In fact, MizarVision is merely one of the more active accounts in the open-source intelligence community. The satellite imagery it posts appears to be commercially available imagery from U.S. and European providers, including Vantor and Airbus.
The original remote sensing images used by MizarVision have already been widely disseminated by certain Western background accounts. Iran, as a nation-state, naturally has channels to access commercial data from around the world, including from American companies.
Overstated threat
Satellite intelligence has evolved significantly, moving from government reconnaissance programs into widely accessible commercial constellations. Governments no longer hold a monopoly on satellite data.
Countless news outlets around the world have drawn on a wealth of space-based imagery to track unfolding events in near real-time—all visible to the public. And in the open-source intelligence field, it is not only commercial Earth observation companies or proprietary datasets that have proven useful.
Researchers have referenced heat-sensing and wildfire data from NASA to cross-check claims made by Russia's FSB. The Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, has utilized the satellite data from the European Space Agency to track military positions.
It is likely that open-source intelligence will become increasingly important and commonplace in the future, with AI playing an essential role in a society awash with open information.
By instigating conflict in Iran, the United States has sought to redirect international public opinion toward others over the disclosure of military information, attempting to cover up its own war crimes under the banner of a so-called "technology ecosystem threat."
On the Iran issue, China has maintained a transparent and principled stance, consistently calling for an objective and impartial approach while promoting dialogue and de-escalation. A spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense has stated that China firmly rejects allegations based on speculation and insinuation. The spokesperson also emphasized that the international community is well capable of judging which actors are contributing to tensions and instability.
Reporter: Yuan Zixiang
Photo: Xinhua
Zhen Delin (intern) also contributed to the story.
