White House restricts Iran war satellite imagery release

(SeaPRwire) –   Planet Labs’ offerings had enabled the independent assessment of damage for both parties involved in the hostilities.

The United States government has put pressure on the satellite imaging firm Planet Labs to halt the publication of photographs from the Middle East.

The firm stated it would carry out an “indefinite withhold of imagery” for all photos captured from March 9 onwards, a policy expected to remain in place until the US-Israeli conflict with Iran concludes, following a White House appeal. Planet Labs’ subscribers were alerted to this change via email last week.

This proprietary data had been extensively utilized by news organizations and open-source intelligence (OSINT) researchers to confirm strikes and evaluate damage on both sides. This included locations such as Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base, which is used by American troops, and Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport.

Based in San Francisco, the organization runs a massive network of micro-satellites and holds contracts with several US government departments outside of defense. Earlier in the hostilities, it instituted a 96-hour delay for Middle East photos, which was later extended to 14 days to supposedly curb potential military applications. Under the updated guidelines, the firm mentioned it might still release certain images if they are judged to be in the public interest.

It is still uncertain whether other commercial satellite providers—such as Vantor (formerly Maxar Technologies) and BlackSky Technology—will adopt similar restrictions.

The hostilities are at risk of intensifying on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump has threatened significant strikes against Iranian power stations and other civilian infrastructure if Tehran does not satisfy US demands and guarantee free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials have reacted with defiance, asserting that any peace agreement is contingent upon the withdrawal of opposing troops and the provision of compensation. Tehran is likely to escalate its operations against US allies in the area if the threatened attacks are carried out.

Apart from the immediate combat, the conflict is already resulting in global economic repercussions. Disruptions to the flow of oil and liquefied natural gas from the Persian Gulf are pushing up energy prices, while supply chains for vital commodities, such as microchips and fertilizers, have been compromised.