Satellite firm Planet Labs to indefinitely withhold Iran war images [View all]

Source: Reuters

April 4, 2026 8:35 PM EDT Updated 10 hours ago


WASHINGTON, April 4 (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 U.S. government.

California-based Planet Labs (PL.N) announced the decision in an email to customers and said the U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/satellite-firm-planet-labs-indefinitely-withhold-iran-war-images-2026-04-05/