Satellite Company Halts Distribution of Images That Help Press Cover Iran War, Cites US Government Request

Planet Labs, a major satellite company that supplies images to customers including major news outlets, announced Saturday that it is indefinitely restricting access to satellite imagery over Iran and much of the surrounding conflict zone, citing a request from the U.S. government, the New York Times reported.

The new policy sharply reduces one of the few widely available tools used by news organizations to verify strikes, assess damage and track military developments in areas that are difficult or dangerous to reach. Multiple affected media outlets said it could significantly hamper journalists, researchers and independent analysts trying to document the Iran war.

Planet said the government request was made for “safety and operational security reasons” and that it would “voluntarily withhold imagery over the area indefinitely until the conflict ends.” The company said it would instead move to a “managed distribution” system, releasing certain images on a limited, case-by-case basis when they are deemed mission-critical or in the public interest.

The Pentagon declined to comment on whether it had asked satellite firms to restrict imagery from the region.

The change is a major tightening of access to a type of material that has become central to modern war coverage. In recent years, commercial satellite imagery has played an increasingly important role in helping reporters, open-source investigators and human rights groups verify events on the ground.

Under Planet’s updated policy, the restricted area includes all of Iran, Gulf states and other active conflict zones in the region. The company also said it is extending publication delays for imagery and data collected since March 9.

The move goes beyond a narrower restriction Planet put in place in March, when it began delaying the release of imagery from Iran by 14 days. At the time, the company said the delay was intended to prevent images from being used by “adversarial actors” while still preserving some level of transparency.

Planet’s decision also appears to reflect a broader shift among satellite data providers as the conflict intensifies. Other imagery companies have recently imposed new delays or tighter controls on access to data from the Middle East, though not all have said those measures stemmed from a direct request by the U.S. government.

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