Planet Labs Restricts Iran Imagery on US Request

Planet Labs, a California-based satellite imaging company, announced on April 4, 2026, that it would indefinitely restrict access to high-resolution imagery of Iran and surrounding conflict zones in the Middle East, following a request from the U.S. government.

The decision, detailed in an email to customers, expands on earlier restrictions the company had placed on images from the region. Planet Labs, founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists and operating a fleet of Earth-observation satellites, stated that the U.S. government asked all providers to withhold such imagery for safety and operational security reasons. The policy applies retroactively to images captured since March 9, 2026, and is expected to remain in effect until the conflict concludes. Under the new managed distribution system, the company will release select imagery on a case-by-case basis only for urgent, mission-critical needs or matters of public interest.

The restrictions build on prior measures by Planet Labs, including a 96-hour delay imposed shortly after the conflict began and a 14-day publication delay enacted in March. Those steps were intended to prevent adversaries from using the data to target...