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THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT

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Chinese firms market Iran war intelligence ‘exposing’ U.S. forces

Manama, Bahrain (Feb. 10, 2026) A Sailor assigned to Naval Security Forces Bahrain perform drills on a gun range simulator aboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Zac Shea)

By Cate Cadell and Lyric Li

As the war in Iran erupted five weeks ago, social media sleuths across Western and Chinese platforms flagged a wave of viral posts detailing equipment at U.S. bases, the movements of American carrier groups and granular breakdowns of how military aircraft were assembling for strikes on Tehran.

The intelligence came from a fast growing new market: Chinese firms — some with links to the People’s Liberation Army — marrying artificial intelligence with open-source data to market information they claim can “expose” the movements of U.S. forces.

Beijing has sought to distance itself from any direct involvement in the Iran war, but the firms — many of which have emerged in the past five years as part of the government’s push to harness private AI for military use — are capitalizing on the conflict.

Read more at Washington Post

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