Satellite images may have tipped off Iran before US base attack, top Republican warns
FIRST ON FOX: Sensitive U.S. military positions in the Middle East may have been exposed through commercial satellite imagery ahead of an Iranian strike that wounded American troops, House Select...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: Sensitive U.S. military positions in the Middle East may have been exposed through commercial satellite imagery ahead of an Iranian strike that wounded American troops, House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar warned in a new letter raising national security concerns. In the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, Moolenaar said Airbus satellite imagery may have been the original source of images later published by a China-based company, MizarVision, which released high-resolution, annotated views of U.S. military aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Moolenaar pointed to a sequence in which the firm publicly identified U.S. aircraft at the base shortly before Iran launched a March 27 missile and drone strike on the installation. The attack wounded at least 12 U.S. service members — two critically — and damaged multiple high-value aircraft, including KC-135 refueling tankers and an E-3G Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft. RUBIO SAYS US MAY NEED TO 'REEXAMINE' NATO MEMBERSHIP AFTER ALLIES BLOCKED BASING, AIRSPACE HELP Moolenaar said the timing and level of detail in the imagery raise questions about whether publicly available satellite data could be used by adversaries to identify and target U.S. military assets, warning that such images risk becoming "targeting data for enemy forces." While commercial satellite imagery is widely available and often used for research and transparency, the letter warns that near-real-time, high-resolution images of active operations could provide adversaries with actionable intelligence. Moolenaar urged War Secretary Pete Hegseth to press Airbus to restrict the release of such imagery, noting that other companies, including Planet Labs, have voluntarily withheld images of the region at the request of the U.S. government. The push highlights a broader debate over whether limiting access to commercial satellite imagery during wartime is necessary to protect U.S. troops or risks…