The European Union has begun delaying the release of satellite images showing shipping lanes near the Strait of Hormuz by 24 hours, in response to an earlier US government request.
The unusual change in the free and open data policy for Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation program was revealed by Space News, which reviewed a copy of the decision made by the Council of the EU on July 13.
The ordered delay applies to images taken by Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites and covers the Gulf of Oman region that includes shipping lanes leading to and from the Strait of Hormuz.
In the decision dated July 13, the EU Council ruled that it was “necessary” to do so, to ensure the images “are not used by any third State or non-State actor in such a way as to present a threat to the interests of the Union and its Member States in the region or to those of their allies.”
"The European Union has ordered a 24-hour delay in the release of some Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery following a request from the U.S. based on concerns that the Earth observation satellites’ output could pose a security risk."
— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) July 24, 2026
🥲 https://t.co/t3Hg13ZNSz pic.twitter.com/xxOzZraRAF
The US government first requested that the European Union restrict Copernicus satellite imagery on May 26, according to the decision document seen by Space News. That request occurred during a shaky ceasefire period for the war between April 8 and July 8, when the US military resumed a broader campaign of attacks on the Islamic Republic following an announcement by President Donald Trump.
Satellite imagery has played important military and open source intelligence roles during the war initiated by US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
Source: Agencies