diff --git a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/prompt_templates/factory.py b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/prompt_templates/factory.py
index 6fc319c26ae..7efa0eaba0f 100644
--- a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/prompt_templates/factory.py
+++ b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/prompt_templates/factory.py
@@ -843,7 +843,7 @@ def create_anthropic_image_param(
     if image_url.startswith("http://") or image_url.startswith("https://"):
         # For Bedrock invoke and Vertex AI Anthropic, always convert URLs to base64
         # as these providers don't support URL sources for images
-        if is_bedrock_invoke or image_url.startswith("http://"):
+        if is_bedrock_invoke:
             base64_url: Final = convert_url_to_base64(url=image_url)
             image_chunk = convert_to_anthropic_image_obj(openai_image_url=base64_url, format=format)
             return AnthropicMessagesImageParam(
diff --git a/litellm/llms/anthropic/chat/transformation.py b/litellm/llms/anthropic/chat/transformation.py
index b7c2ce3c568..d198f6f9e6f 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/anthropic/chat/transformation.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/anthropic/chat/transformation.py
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ from litellm.litellm_core_utils.prompt_templates.common_utils import (
 from litellm.litellm_core_utils.prompt_templates.image_handling import (
     RemoteMedia,
     async_inline_remote_media,
-    inline_remote_image_urls,
 )
 from litellm.llms.base_llm.base_utils import type_to_response_format_param
 from litellm.llms.base_llm.chat.transformation import BaseConfig, BaseLLMException
@@ -1866,8 +1865,8 @@ class AnthropicConfig(AnthropicModelInfo, BaseConfig):
                 break
         return headers
 
-    def inlines_remote_media(self, media: RemoteMedia) -> bool:
-        return inline_remote_image_urls(media) and media.url.startswith("http://")
+    def inlines_remote_media(self, _media: RemoteMedia) -> bool:
+        return False
 
     async def async_transform_request(
         self,
diff --git a/tests/llm_translation/test_prompt_factory.py b/tests/llm_translation/test_prompt_factory.py
index 7b03736920b..75b4f584ef4 100644
--- a/tests/llm_translation/test_prompt_factory.py
+++ b/tests/llm_translation/test_prompt_factory.py
@@ -225,6 +225,41 @@ def test_create_anthropic_image_param_with_https_url():
     assert image_param["source"]["url"] == "https://example.com/image.png"
 
 
+@patch("litellm.litellm_core_utils.prompt_templates.factory.convert_url_to_base64")
+def test_create_anthropic_image_param_with_http_url_forwards_url(
+    mock_convert_url: MagicMock,
+):
+    """Plain http:// image URLs are forwarded as URL sources, like https://.
+
+    Regression test for https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm/issues/43098: the
+    proxy used to download http:// URLs and send them as base64 without notice.
+    """
+    image_param = create_anthropic_image_param(
+        "http://example.com/image.png", format=None
+    )
+
+    mock_convert_url.assert_not_called()
+    assert image_param["type"] == "image"
+    assert image_param["source"]["type"] == "url"
+    assert image_param["source"]["url"] == "http://example.com/image.png"
+
+
+@patch("litellm.litellm_core_utils.prompt_templates.factory.convert_url_to_base64")
+def test_create_anthropic_image_param_with_http_url_still_base64_for_bedrock(
+    mock_convert_url: MagicMock,
+):
+    """Bedrock invoke keeps converting URLs to base64 (provider has no URL source)."""
+    mock_convert_url.return_value = "data:image/png;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRg=="
+
+    image_param = create_anthropic_image_param(
+        "http://example.com/image.png", format=None, is_bedrock_invoke=True
+    )
+
+    mock_convert_url.assert_called_once_with(url="http://example.com/image.png")
+    assert image_param["type"] == "image"
+    assert image_param["source"]["type"] == "base64"
+
+
 def test_create_anthropic_image_param_with_dict_input():
     """Test that dict input with URL is handled correctly."""
     image_param = create_anthropic_image_param(
@@ -292,6 +327,37 @@ def test_anthropic_messages_pt_with_url_image():
     assert result[0]["content"][1]["source"]["url"] == "https://example.com/image.jpg"
 
 
+@patch("litellm.litellm_core_utils.prompt_templates.factory.convert_url_to_base64")
+def test_anthropic_messages_pt_with_http_url_image(mock_convert_url: MagicMock):
+    """Plain http:// image URLs are forwarded as URL sources for regular Anthropic.
+
+    Regression test for https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm/issues/43098.
+    """
+    messages = [
+        {
+            "role": "user",
+            "content": [
+                {"type": "text", "text": "What's in this image?"},
+                {
+                    "type": "image_url",
+                    "image_url": "http://example.com/image.jpg",
+                },
+            ],
+        }
+    ]
+
+    result = anthropic_messages_pt(
+        messages=messages, model="claude-3-5-sonnet", llm_provider="anthropic"
+    )
+
+    mock_convert_url.assert_not_called()
+    assert len(result) == 1
+    image_content = result[0]["content"][1]
+    assert image_content["type"] == "image"
+    assert image_content["source"]["type"] == "url"
+    assert image_content["source"]["url"] == "http://example.com/image.jpg"
+
+
 def test_anthropic_messages_pt_with_base64_image():
     """Test that anthropic_messages_pt correctly handles data URIs as base64."""
     messages = [
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/llms/anthropic/chat/test_anthropic_chat_transformation.py b/tests/test_litellm/llms/anthropic/chat/test_anthropic_chat_transformation.py
index 7167a67d80d..e3d0f6c1b10 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/llms/anthropic/chat/test_anthropic_chat_transformation.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/llms/anthropic/chat/test_anthropic_chat_transformation.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from litellm.constants import (
     DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_XHIGH_THINKING_BUDGET,
     RESPONSE_FORMAT_TOOL_NAME,
 )
+from litellm.litellm_core_utils.prompt_templates.image_handling import RemoteMedia
 from litellm.llms.anthropic.chat.transformation import AnthropicConfig
 from litellm.llms.anthropic.experimental_pass_through.messages.transformation import (
     AnthropicMessagesConfig,
@@ -6519,3 +6520,17 @@ def test_eager_input_streaming_reaches_anthropic_request_tools():
 
     assert result["tools"][0]["eager_input_streaming"] is True
     assert result["tools"][0]["name"] == "write_file"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "url", ["http://example.com/image.png", "https://example.com/image.png"]
+)
+def test_inlines_remote_media_never_inlines_image_urls(url: str):
+    """Regular Anthropic forwards remote image URLs as url sources, so the async
+    request path must not download and inline them.
+
+    Regression test for https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm/issues/43098.
+    """
+    media = RemoteMedia(url=url, fields={}, part_type="image_url")
+
+    assert AnthropicConfig().inlines_remote_media(media) is False