A Chinese geospatial intelligence firm that claimed tracking US B-2 bombers during the Iran War and published commercial satellite imagery of US military facilities across the West Asian region is flaunting US sanctions on itself.
MizarVision rose to prominence earlier this year when it was accused of providing crucial intelligence to Iran that helped the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) launch precision attacks on US bases.
While the role of MizarVision had been lamented by US officials and the Pentagon at the time, the State Department took punitive measures only recently. On May 8, the Department sanctioned “four entities, including for providing satellite imagery that enables Iran’s military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East.” The list includes Meentropy Technology (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. (MizarVision), a China-based geospatial intelligence firm that published open-source images detailing US military activity during Operation Epic Fury.
MizarVision responded to the imposition of sanctions by posting a recruitment advertisement on social media that amusingly included a screenshot of the sanctions notice alongside job openings.
“The outside world occasionally sends us a ‘surprise’, but we have always been the type to accept with a grin and keep charging forward,” it wrote in the recruitment notice. “If you believe in superiority through strength, love combat-grade engineering, know how to turn pressure into productivity – welcome to join us!”
Notably, the company’s addition to the sanctions list means that American citizens and entities are prohibited from conducting any business with it, and its existing assets in the US would be frozen, effectively cutting it off from the US financial systems. And, by extension of that, from the majority of the world.
The sanctions were condemned by China’s Foreign Ministry.
“China firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the United Nations Security Council,” spokesman Guo Jiakun said, vowing to “firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests” of Chinese companies.
Chinese netizens praised MizarVision’s Weibo advertisement. While several praised the company’s “defiance” and “combative stance” against American high-handedness, others viewed the sanctions as proof of MizarVision’s impact and a sign of China’s rising capabilities in commercial satellite and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) technology.
Some Chinese netizens joked that the company had turned the sanctions notice into marketing gold. However, the common theme in discussions was the praise for China flexing its intelligence muscles and providing “open-source” value that embarrassed the US, which had reportedly ordered Western firms like Planet Labs to withhold imagery during the hostilities, in what was perceived as an attempt by Washington to hide its losses.
It is pertinent to note that the US has sanctioned several Chinese firms in the past, and continues to do so amid heated rivalry and national security concerns. These sanctions are criticized by the Chinese government but mocked by the Chinese people, who emphasize that they serve as free publicity for firms in China and bolster recruitment.
MizarVision On US Radar
MizarVision is a geospatial intelligence company that does not operate its own satellites but leverages high-resolution commercial providers, including those published by west-based companies. The collected imagery is then combined with AI-driven analysis and shared publicly on platforms like Weibo and X, turning ‘open-source’ data into near-real-time tactical intelligence that could benefit combat operations.
The company gained notoriety earlier this year when reports indicated that it was tracking American military aircraft and ships involved in ongoing operations against Iran ahead of the Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28, 2026. Additionally, it was accused of providing Iran with detailed AI-enhanced satellite images tagged with data on multiple US military sites ahead of, and during, the war—exposing the ubiquity of US military operations and threatening US forces in the region.
Several facilities and assets, such as the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar or the Prince Sultan Base in Saudi Arabia, posted by MizarVision, were eventually targeted by Iran in missile and drone strikes during the war. The Pentagon took a strict exception to the matter because the imagery allegedly showed an AI tool that identifies and tags military forces across vast areas, a capability once available only to advanced intelligence forces.
The company’s images prominently listed US military hardware stationed at the bases, including aircraft types and numbers, air defenses, etc. For example, it marked F-22 stealth fighters parked on the ramp at Israel’s Ovda air base and a variety of crucial platforms set up at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base, including two Bombardier E-11 communications aircraft and seven Boeing E-3 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) jets, ahead of the conflict.
The US later lost an E-3 Sentry in an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, as reported by the EurAsian Times at the time.
Notably, the company’s images were obtained from Western or European satellites, including those from Airbus, Maxar, and others, rather than from Chinese satellites. MizarVision essentially processed and publicly released it with AI overlays, exposing a vulnerability in how commercial space data can be repurposed against US forces.
New MizarVision analysis challenges claims that the damaged U.S. E-3C at Prince Sultan Air Base was hit while active on the runway.
According to the March 3–25 data integration shown in the post, the aircraft had already been deployed and parked in that exact position before the… pic.twitter.com/DPDsUglufN
— MizarVision Watcher (@MizarVision) March 29, 2026
Citing a source in the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the intelligence branch of the American military, ABC News reported that this crucial satellite intelligence was aiding the IRGC with precision attacks on American bases spread across the Gulf Arab countries.
“This is an example of a Chinese company, we believe maliciously, providing intelligence on an open-source platform that informs missile and unmanned aerial vehicle [drone] targeting protocols,” the DIA source told ABC News. “This puts the lives of Americans, and by extension our allies, at risk.”
In addition, MizarVision also purportedly used AI analysis to track US aerial refueling missions and detect bomber strike patterns.
Last month, it published a report analyzing the movement of US KC-135 and KC-46 tanker aircraft during Operation Epic Fury.
The report described crucial connections between known tanker movements and strikes against Iranian targets.
Notably, the refueling tankers could be tracked using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast signals, which are used to locate aircraft.
Since stealth bombers are very unlikely to broadcast ADS-B signals during operational flights, the firm attempted to match the tankers’ locations to known or suspected bomber movements.
It was unclear what part artificial intelligence played in the process. However, the firm previously carried out a month-long monitoring effort that also used satellite imagery to document the deployment of various US military assets throughout the Middle East.
Additionally, the firm had purportedly mapped the flight paths of US tankers heading from Israel to the Gulf, along with specific KC-135 refuelling orbits in the region, and posted it to social media. However, the post was later deleted without an explanation.
To track US bomber strike patterns, MizarVision created a comprehensive timeline that separated US tanker operations into three phases. The report detailed how those tankers established refueling positions to support US bomber activities.
Fu Qianshao, a military analyst and former air force officer, told SCMP that monitoring tankers enabled a fair assessment of US bomber activity. “Aerial refueling zones are generally predefined, and tankers circling on station are relatively easy to spot,” Fu said.
While these claims could not be independently verified, they certainly warrant close scrutiny by the United States, particularly given that MizarVision is likely linked to the Chinese government.
Moreover, by making detailed, annotated military situational awareness freely available, the company could erode operational secrecy in a potential war situation.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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