{"id":23804,"date":"2026-04-04T20:06:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T14:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/USBnews24.com\/?p=23804"},"modified":"2026-04-05T20:08:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T14:08:51","slug":"satellite-firm-planet-labs-to-indefinitely-withhold-iran-war-images","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/USBnews24.com\/?p=23804","title":{"rendered":"Satellite firm Planet Labs to indefinitely withhold Iran war images"},"content":{"rendered":"

Satellite imaging firm Planet Labs said on Saturday it will indefinitely withhold \u200cvisuals of Iran and the region of conflict in the Middle East to comply with a request from the U.S. government.
\nCalifornia-based Planet Labs (PL.N), opens new tab announced the decision in an email to customers and said the U.S. government had asked all satellite imagery providers to indefinitely \u200bwithhold images of the conflict region.<\/p>\n

The restriction expands upon a 14-day delay on imagery of the Middle East \u200bthat Planet Labs imposed last month, a move the firm said was meant to prevent \u2060adversaries from using it to attack the U.S. and its allies.
\nPlanet Labs said it will withhold imagery dating back \u200bto March 9 and that it expects the policy to remain in effect until the conflict ends.
\nThe war began \u200bwhen 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.
\nMilitary uses of satellite technology include target identification, \u200bweapons guidance, missile tracking and communications. Some space specialists say Iran could be accessing commercial imagery, including pictures obtained \u200bvia U.S. adversaries. Satellite images also help journalists and academicians studying hard-to-reach places.<\/p>\n

Planet Labs, which operates a large fleet of Earth-imaging \u200csatellites and \u2060sells frequently updated images to governments, companies and media, did not respond to a request for further comment.
\nThe Pentagon said it does not comment on intelligence-related matters.
\nPlanet 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 \u200brelease imagery on a case-by-case \u200bbasis for urgent, mission-critical requirements \u2060or in the public interest.
\n“These are extraordinary circumstances, and we are doing all we can to balance the needs of all our stakeholders,” the firm said.
\nOne commercial provider, Vantor, \u200bformerly Maxar Technologies, told Reuters that it was not contacted by the U.S. government. \u200bVantor for \u2060years 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.<\/p>\n

Those controls can include limits on who can request new \u2060images or \u200bbuy existing pictures of regions where the U.S. military and its \u200ballies are “actively operating,” and areas “actively targeted by adversaries,” the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

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