From battlefields to data centres: The US-Iran war in the age of AI

The US-Israel war with Iran has shifted conflict from battlefields to data centres, software engineers and civilian technologies — turning them into both enablers of military power and its most vulnerable targets.

As the line between military and civilian infrastructures blurs, urgent questions emerge about the laws and ethics of war. Meanwhile, rapid technological development draws an ever larger number of civilians into the expanding footprint of the war machine.

The joint US-Israel strikes in February 2026 on Iran demonstrates how artificial intelligence has transformed modern warfare.

Digital warrior to the fore

Relying on AI systems that can rapidly analyse vast quantities of diverse data, the US Central Command conducted an initial wave of 900 strikes within a remarkably narrow 12-hour window in a feat that would have been logistically impossible under traditional human-centric planning.

This unprecedented speed of kinetic operations arises from integrating commercial AI systems, such as Claude AI, produced by technology giant Anthropic, into military intelligence platforms. These systems sift through satellite imagery, drone feeds, intercepted communications, and even social media activity, turning raw data into recommended targets within minutes.

This, however, is not the only example of the use of advanced AI in the theatre of conflict.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), specifically the elite intelligence Unit 8200, has operationalised two primary AI decision support systems: ‘The Gospel’ (Habsora) and ‘Lavender’.

The Gospel automatically identifies structural targets — buildings, equipment and key infrastructure — in enemy territory at breakneck speed. While a team of human intelligence officers might traditionally generate 50 targets in a year, by automatically extracting intelligence out of vast information troves, The Gospel can generate 100 targets in less than two weeks, allowing sustained high-intensity bombing.

Lavender, meanwhile, complements The Gospel by identifying suspicious individuals based on their social connections, communication patterns, and movement profiles.

During the first six weeks of ‘Operation Iron Swords’ in the Gaza Strip during 2023-2024, Lavender reportedly identified as many as 37,000 Palestinian men........

© Dawn Prism