Did Satellites Give Iran a Target?

Satellite Images May Have Exposed U.S. Base Before Iran Strike, Lawmaker Warns.

In modern war, the battlefield isn’t just physical—it’s visible from space.

Sensitive U.S. military positions in the Middle East may have been inadvertently exposed through commercial satellite imagery before an Iranian strike that injured American personnel, according to a senior U.S. lawmaker, raising fresh concerns about the risks of open-source intelligence in wartime.

Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, warned that high-resolution images of Prince Sultan Air Base circulated publicly shortly before Iran launched a March 27 missile and drone attack on the installation. The strike wounded at least 12 U.S. service members and damaged key aircraft, including refueling tankers and airborne surveillance systems.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Moolenaar pointed to evidence suggesting the images may have originated from satellites operated by Airbus before being republished by a China-based firm, MizarVision. The imagery reportedly showed detailed layouts of aircraft on the ground—information that, in the wrong hands, could serve as targeting data.

The lawmaker did not present direct proof linking the images to Iran’s attack, but said the timing and level of detail raised “serious national security concerns.” A technical review cited in the letter found Airbus satellites were the “most plausible” source, while noting that commercial imagery often moves through complex global distribution networks before reaching end users.

Airbus denied the allegations, stating it complies with all international regulations and export controls.

The episode highlights a growing dilemma for governments: how to manage the expanding availability of near real-time satellite imagery without undermining transparency. Commercial providers such as Planet Labs have at times restricted access to sensitive images at government request, but no universal framework exists.

For military planners, the concern is increasingly urgent. High-resolution satellite images—once the exclusive domain of intelligence agencies—are now widely accessible, allowing analysts, journalists and potentially adversaries to monitor troop movements and infrastructure with unprecedented clarity.

The implications extend beyond a single incident. As conflicts become more technologically interconnected, the boundary between public information and operational intelligence is blurring. What was once considered benign transparency can, under certain conditions, become a vulnerability.

The question now confronting policymakers is whether tighter controls are needed—and if so, how to impose them without eroding the very openness that has made satellite imagery a cornerstone of modern reporting and accountability.

In an era where war can be tracked from orbit in near real time, visibility itself may be emerging as a new strategic risk.