As U.S.–Iran tensions spiral, Chinese satellite images have peeled back the Pentagon’s Gulf war posture. Newly released visuals reveal rapid American force deployments, Patriot batteries, tankers, fighters and warships encircling Iran. With Trump boasting of armadas and Tehran warning of retaliation, analysts say the buildup looks deliberate but incomplete. Beijing-linked reports argue Washington may be signaling pressure, not full-scale war. The imagery is now public, turning once-hidden bases into open-source targets and raising a chilling question: has America’s ring of steel become dangerously transparent at the worst possible moment?