Satellite imaging firm Planet Labs has said it will indefinitely withhold visuals of Iran and the region of conflict in the Middle East to comply with a request from the US government, Reuters reports.

California-based Planet Labs announced the decision in an email to customers and said the US government had asked all satellite imagery providers to indefinitely withhold images of the conflict region. The restriction expands upon a 14-day delay on imagery of the Middle East that Planet Labs imposed last month.

Planet Labs said it will withhold imagery dating back to March 9 and that it expects the policy to remain in effect until the conflict ends.

Military uses of satellite technology include target identification, weapons guidance, missile tracking and communications. Some space specialists say Iran could be accessing commercial imagery, including pictures obtained via US adversaries.

Satellite images also help journalists and academicians study hard-to-reach places.