Planet Labs will no longer publish satellite images from Iran and the Persian Gulf at the request of the Pentagon. The company will impose indefinite restrictions.

The American company Planet Labs PBC has announced that it will suspend the publication of high-resolution satellite images from Iran, the Gulf states, and nearby allied bases, following a request from the Pentagon. This change, which will take effect retroactively from March 9, will extend the publication gap for images from the designated area of interest, which includes all of Iran and existing conflict zones. Planet will publish images only in urgent or public interest cases, applying this rule until the end of the conflict.

This decision comes in the context of rising tensions in the Middle East, triggered by Israeli-American attacks and Tehran's reprisals. Additionally, Vantor (formerly Maxar), another satellite image provider, has announced similar restrictions. U.S. legislation allows for the imposition of limitations on companies operating satellite images for national security reasons, and providers must implement restriction protocols to avoid sanctions.