WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Satellite imaging firm Planet Labs said on Saturday it will indefinitely withhold visuals of Iran and the region of conflict in the Middle East to comply with a request from the US government.

California-based Planet Labs announced the decision in an email to customers and said the US government had asked all satellite imagery providers to indefinitely withhold images of the conflict region.

The restriction expands upon a 14-day delay on imagery of the Middle East that Planet Labs imposed last month, a move the firm said was meant to prevent adversaries from using it to attack the US and its allies.

Planet Labs said it will withhold imagery dating back to March 9 and that it expects the policy to remain in effect until the conflict ends.

The war began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and the conflict spread in the region when Tehran responded by launching its own attacks on Israel and US bases in Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain

Military uses of satellite technology include target identification, weapons guidance, missile tracking and communications. Some space specialists say Iran could be accessing commercial imagery, including pictures obtained via US adversaries. Satellite images also help journalists and academicians studying hard-to-reach places.

Planet Labs, which operates a large fleet of Earth-imaging satellites and sells frequently updated images to governments, companies and media, did not respond to a request for further comment.

The Pentagon said it does not comment on intelligence-related matters.

Planet Labs said in its email to customers that it would switch to a “managed distribution of images” deemed not to pose a risk to safety. Under a new system, Planet Labs will release imagery on a case-by-case basis for urgent, mission-critical requirements or in the public interest.

“These are extraordinary circumstances, and we are doing all we can to balance the needs of all our stakeholders,” the firm said.

One commercial provider, Vantor, formerly Maxar Technologies, told Reuters that it was not contacted by the US government. Vantor for years has reserved the right to “implement enhanced access controls during times of geopolitical conflict” and currently has applied them for parts of the Middle East, a company spokesperson said in a statement.

Those controls can include limits on who can request new images or buy existing pictures of regions where the US military and its allies are “actively operating,” and areas “actively targeted by adversaries,” the spokesperson said.

One other commercial provider contacted by Reuters, BlackSky Technology, did not immediately return a request for comment.

Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:

Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;

Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and

Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.

We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.

Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.

So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel

1 6 wounded as Iran cluster bombs smash homes in central Israel; IDF hits Iran infrastructure

2 ExplainerHow does a fighter pilot survive being shot down in enemy territory?

3 Iran said restoring bombed missile bunkers within hours after being struck

4 AnalysisCould Paramount acquisition of CNN shift coverage of Israel?

5 Russia said coordinating with IDF on evacuation of workers from Iran nuclear plant

6 Trump: Iran faces ‘all hell’ if it doesn’t make a deal or open Hormuz in 48 hours

7 Explosion hits Christian pro-Israel center in the Netherlands

8 IDF says soldier killed, another seriously hurt by ‘friendly-fire’ in southern Lebanon

2026 US-Israel war with Iran

© The Times of Israel