Satellite company Planet Labs announced that it will stop providing imagery of Iran and surrounding conflict zones for an indefinite period, following a request from the U.S. government.

The California-based firm informed customers by email that Washington had asked all commercial satellite providers to suspend distribution of images from the region without a set end date.

The move builds on a restriction introduced last month, when Planet Labs delayed releasing Middle East imagery by 14 days, citing concerns that such data could be exploited by hostile actors targeting the United States and its allies.

According to the company, the updated policy will apply retroactively to imagery captured as far back as March 9 and is expected to remain in place for the duration of the ongoing conflict.

The current war began on February 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran. The situation quickly escalated as Tehran retaliated with attacks against Israel and American military installations in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

Satellite data plays a critical role in modern warfare, supporting functions such as identifying targets, guiding weapons systems, tracking missile activity, and enabling communications. Analysts have also noted that Iran may be obtaining commercially available imagery, including through intermediaries aligned with U.S. adversaries. At the same time, such imagery is widely used by journalists and researchers to monitor areas that are otherwise difficult to access.

Planet Labs, which operates one of the world’s largest constellations of Earth-observing satellites and supplies frequent updates to governments, corporations, and media outlets, declined to provide additional comment beyond its customer notice.

The Pentagon said it does not comment on intelligence-related matters.

In its communication, Planet Labs stated that it will transition to a “managed distribution of images” deemed safe for release. Under this framework, imagery may be shared selectively on a case-by-case basis when it meets urgent operational needs or serves the public interest.

“These are extraordinary circumstances, and we are doing all we can to balance the needs of all our stakeholders,” the firm said.

Meanwhile, another commercial imagery provider, Vantor, formerly known as Maxar Technologies, told Reuters it had not received a similar request from the U.S. government. The company noted that it already maintains the authority to “implement enhanced access controls during times of geopolitical conflict” and has applied such measures in parts of the Middle East.

A spokesperson for Vantor explained that these restrictions may include limiting who can request new images or purchase existing ones from areas where U.S. forces and their allies are “actively operating,” as well as locations “actively targeted by adversaries.”