Planet Labs Enforces Indefinite Blackout On Iran War Imagery At White House Request – The Cradle

April 6, 2026 TheMcgwire

Planet Labs Enforces Indefinite Blackout On Iran War Imagery At White House Request

The move stifles independent verification of Iranian damage to US assets, framed by Washington as a measure to protect ‘vulnerable military positions’

The US government has ordered satellite imaging firm Planet Labs to indefinitely halt the release of imagery from the war in West Asia, the company confirmed on 6 April, warning they could expose “vulnerable military positions,” yet reports suggest the move aims to conceal the extent of Iranian damage to US assets.

Planet Labs said it would enforce an “indefinite withhold of imagery,” applied retroactively to images captured from 9 March, and expected to remain in place until the war ends.

Satellite imaging company Planet Labs says it will indefinitely withhold Iran war imagery after a request from the Trump administration.

The company notified its customers via email, adding that US authorities had asked all providers to block visuals of the war zone.

The restriction expands earlier measures introduced in March, when Planet Labs delayed releases by 96 hours, later extending that delay to 14 days.

The firm said the new policy would limit access to high-resolution images of Iran, US-linked bases, and surrounding regions, with only select visuals released on a case-by-case basis if deemed in the public interest.

US officials justified the move by warning that publicly available satellite images could expose “vulnerable military positions,” particularly after Iran demonstrated its ability to strike US bases, aircraft, and radar systems across the region.

The imagery had been widely used by journalists and open-source analysts to independently verify damage claims on both sides of the war.

Sites captured in the imagery included US-linked facilities such as Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia and infrastructure in Tehran, including Mehrabad International Airport.

🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Cradle

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