The U.S. government has asked all satellite imaging service providers to voluntarily and indefinitely suspend the release of images in designated areas (areas of interest) after a strike launched by Iran exposed the damage to U.S. military bases.
The decision will take effect retroactively from March 9, 2026, and will enable a controlled access mode: the release delay period will be extended for all new images within the designated AOI, and images will only be released after approval on a case-by-case basis for urgent, mission-critical needs or matters in the public interest. For the media community, this model is consistent with the media policies of other remote sensing companies.
This policy is expected to continue until the end of the conflict. Access to imagery from other parts of the world is not affected in any way. The United States said that the current situation is a special situation and is making every effort to balance the needs of all stakeholders. We will continue to monitor the development of the situation and adjust policies as much as possible to minimize the impact on customer data availability.
