A satellite imagery company called Planet Labs has announced that it is further restricting the release of satellite images from over the war zone and delaying them for two weeks:
Due to the increasingly complex regional security environment, we are sharing an update to our data access restrictions in the Middle East. There are genuine concerns of use of Planet data over Iran, as well as an extended window of risk for recent imagery. After consulting with experts inside and outside of government, and as we continue to balance operational security needs and our transparency mission, Planet has decided to take additional, proactive measures to ensure our imagery is not tactically leveraged by adversarial actors to target allied and NATO-partner personnel and civilians.
As of today, we are making the following changes:
• Expansion of AOI: The designated Area of Interest (AOI) has been expanded to include all of Iran and nearby allied bases, in addition to the Gulf States and existing conflict zones.
• 14-Day Delay: We are extending the delay for all new imagery (PlanetScope, SkySat, Pelican, and Tanager) from 4 to 14 days before it becomes available in our commercial archive.
The idea that this imagery is being “tactically leveraged by adversarial actors” is absurd because a) it was already being restricted for 96 hours and b) Iran doesn’t rely upon Western civilian satellite imagery, it utilizes the information it is being provided by the Chinese and Russian militaries. The only purpose this serves is to prevent the public from being able to discern when one of the belligerent parties is lying.
One analyst immediately flagged the reason for what appears to be US government censorship being imposed upon Planet Labs:
This is a significant development and the timing alone makes it analytically important. Planet Labs already imposed a 96-hour satellite imagery blackout on Gulf states on Day 7. The original 96-hour blackout on Day 7 applied to Gulf states but notably excluded Iran, which drew immediate criticism from open source analysts including Patricia who flagged it as asymmetric censorship… This expanded notice now includes Iran, which addresses that asymmetry on paper. What it also does is remove the primary independent verification mechanism for damage assessment claims from both sides simultaneously.
Here is what I assess with confidence. The coalition’s strike tempo is down 76% from peak. $5.6 billion in munitions burned in two days. The Pentagon is preparing an emergency supplemental funding request. Two high-value US drones shot down on Day 8. American cruise missiles intercepted last night. A 14-day imagery blackout now covers every base, every facility, every impact site across the entire theatre.
Independent verification of what is actually happening on the ground just became significantly harder for everyone. Draw your own conclusions about whose interests that serves most at this specific moment in the conflict.
In other words, either the US-Israeli narrative is becoming increasingly false, or the Epstein Alliance is about to do something to Iran that it is desperate to hide from the world. And, of course, the answer could quite possibly be both.