Satellite company halts Middle East imagery indefinitely at U.S. government's request
¬ Bahrain National Oil Company: Tank hit by drone
¬ Hezbollah in Lebanon claims attack on Israeli warship
¬ Iran’s war spurs supply chain disruption, surging demand for pharmaceutical logistics
AFP, Paris, 4th—American satellite imaging company Planet Labs announced today that, under the request of the Trump administration, it will cease releasing high-resolution aerial photographs involving regions affected by the Middle East conflict.
Since late February, the United States and Israel have jointly targeted Iran, prompting Iran to retaliate daily with missile launches aimed at Israel and several neighboring countries in the Middle East region.
Planet Labs stated that the U.S. government has requested satellite imaging providers to "indefinitely suspend the release of imagery."
According to a message sent by Planet Labs to clients received by AFP: "Effective retroactively from March 9, 2026, Planet Labs will transition to a managed access model, extending the delay for all new imagery within the area of concern, and will only release images on a case-by-case basis when urgently needed for critical missions or aligned with public interest."
As previously announced, this region is defined as Iran’s entire territory, allied bases of Iran in the Middle East, Persian Gulf nations, and existing conflict zones.
Founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists, Planet Labs’ imagery is widely used by media and researchers. The company said the new policy is expected to remain in effect until the end of the conflict.
Under normal circumstances, customers can access imagery from Planet Labs' satellites within hours after overflight. This provides valuable resources for businesses, researchers, and journalists—but may also carry potential strategic value for militaries seeking to locate enemy military bases or radar installations.
+
According to Bahrain National Oil Company, one of its oil tanks was struck by a drone and caught fire, but the blaze has since been extinguished.
Citing a statement from Bahrain Petroleum Energy Company, UAE’s Gulf News reported: "Bahrain National Oil Energy Company confirms an incident occurred at one of its facilities today. An Iranian drone strike caused a fire at one of its storage tanks."
The report states that the fire has been fully extinguished, with no casualties reported.
Source: sputniknews
+
Lebanese Hezbollah movement issued a statement claiming that its armed fighters attacked an Israeli warship preparing to launch an assault on Lebanese territory.
The statement said: "Islamic Resistance fighters carried out an attack on an Israeli warship located 68 nautical miles off the Lebanese coast, which was preparing to conduct an attack on Lebanese land. After several hours of surveillance, the strike was executed using sea-based cruise missiles."
The statement confirmed that the target was hit directly.
Source: sputniknews
+
AFP, Florsstadt, Germany, 4th—Medications can relieve pain, fight cancer, and save lives; however, they become useless if lost during transport, spoiled in hot warehouses, or stranded on ships.
This is precisely where pharmaceutical logistics comes into play. In a world where supply chains are disrupted by war, pandemics, and trade chaos, this is an industry experiencing rapid growth.
The DHL Health Logistics Park near Frankfurt, Germany, serves as one of the company’s European hubs, dedicated to ensuring reliable delivery of medicines and other critical medical products to their destinations.
As the Middle East conflict enters its fifth week, concerns about medicine shortages are growing, making the park’s mission crucial—to ensure stable supply to hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, and other customers across Europe and globally.
The facility, located in Florstadt outside Frankfurt, spans an area equivalent to 14 football fields and features solar panels covering its roof.
A wide variety of products flow through this vast complex—from insulin capsules and medicinal sunscreens to barrels of sulfuric acid.
Rigorous temperature controls and staff wearing protective suits ensure that medicines are transported under sterile conditions and maintained within cold chain requirements.
Katrin Hoelter, Head of DHL Germany and Alpine Region Logistics, said: "Our 600 employees receive specialized training because they understand that the ultimate endpoint of our supply chain is always the patient—and there must be no room for error."
During AFP’s visit, she noted that as the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran affects global shipping, "we’ve observed some clients requesting increased storage capacity here, as this is vital to their production and essential for ensuring a stable supply of raw materials."
Despite ongoing global crises, both the logistics and pharmaceutical industries continue to expand.
According to data from healthcare analytics firm Iqvia, driven by the U.S. and major emerging markets, the global pharmaceutical market could exceed $2.6 trillion by 2030.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861621829773312/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.