From destroyers to fighter jet deployments in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Greece and Israel, the United States has been steadily reinforcing its presence in the region for weeks, as the possibility of a strike on Iran lingers despite ongoing negotiations.
In recent days, attention has turned to a Chinese company founded just five years ago, MizarVision, which regularly provides high-resolution satellite imagery from strategically important areas, including military facilities and aircraft carriers.
Alongside the imagery, the company has published details on the types and numbers of U.S. aircraft deployed, as well as the positioning of air defense systems.
One set of images released by the company showed F-22 stealth fighter jets that the United States sent to Israel. According to MizarVision, the aircraft were stationed at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, where a Patriot air defense battery also appeared to be deployed nearby.
“Why are we here: to find answers, to shape the future,” reads a slogan in English on the company’s website, which is otherwise largely in Chinese.
Since the United States began moving additional forces to the Middle East, MizarVision has tracked and reported on the movements and locations of assets. The company makes extensive use of artificial intelligence models to identify objects in satellite imagery and to monitor changes in resources and facilities.
Experts say the company’s publications highlight China’s intelligence-gathering capabilities. Its close monitoring of U.S. troop movements, American bases and other strategically significant assets underscores Beijing’s ability to track high-value targets in near real time, potentially enabling it to act accordingly.
Amid contacts between Iran and the United States, and the continued possibility of escalation, MizarVision has in recent weeks published not only satellite images but also updates on the quantities and models of U.S. aircraft deployed at various locations, as well as associated air defense systems.
Among the images released were satellite photos of U.S. tanker aircraft arriving at a base in Saudi Arabia and documentation of force buildups on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, sometimes referred to as “the bomber island.”
The company also published imagery showing 22 U.S. aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, including 16 KC-135 tanker and transport aircraft and six E-3 airborne warning and control aircraft.
Additional satellite images showed dozens of U.S. aircraft at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar alongside a Patriot air defense battery, as well as aircraft and a THAAD air defense battery deployed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
Further images documented the movements of destroyers and aircraft carriers across the region, including the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, in Crete.