Planet Labs, the California-based Earth-imaging company founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists, announced Saturday it will indefinitely withhold satellite imagery of Iran and the broader Middle East conflict zone, complying with a U.S. government directive asking all commercial satellite providers to impose an indefinite imagery withhold.

The decision marks a structural shift, not just a delay. Planet Labs said it is moving to a “managed distribution” model in which imagery is released on a case-by-case basis for urgent, mission-critical requirements or in the public interest, placing ongoing U.S. government influence over what commercial satellite data reaches the public for the duration of the conflict.

“These are extraordinary circumstances, and we are doing all we can to balance the needs of all our stakeholders,” the company said in an email to customers.

The restriction takes effect retroactively from March 9, 2026, and Planet Labs said it expects the policy to remain in place until the war ends. The company operates a large fleet of Earth-imaging satellites, selling frequently updated imagery to governments, research institutions, and media organizations.

The blackout is the third and most expansive restriction Planet Labs has imposed since the war began February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated aerial strikes against Iran.

The company first imposed a 96-hour imagery delay, then extended that to 14 days last month, citing the risk of adversaries exploiting commercial imagery to target U.S. and allied forces.

Saturday’s announcement eliminated the delay framework entirely in favor of controlled, discretionary release.

A second major commercial provider, Vantor, formerly Maxar Technologies, has also applied access controls across parts of the Middle East. A company spokesperson told Reuters that Vantor was not contacted by the U.S. government but had independently implemented the restrictions under its longstanding policy of limiting imagery access during geopolitical conflicts where U.S. and allied forces are actively operating or being targeted. The Pentagon said it does not comment on intelligence-related matters.

Military applications of commercial satellite imagery include target identification, weapons guidance, and missile tracking.

Some space specialists say Iran may be accessing commercial imagery through U.S. adversaries, a concern that has grown as the conflict has spread, with Iranian forces launching missile and drone barrages at Israel and U.S. military assets in Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

U.S. law permits the government to restrict commercial high-resolution satellite imagery for reasons of national security or foreign policy. Satellite data providers operating under federal licenses typically build restriction protocols into their commercial agreements to avoid sanctions exposure.

Planet Labs has not specified what criteria will govern imagery releases under the managed distribution model or when it expects to resume standard distribution.