Recurring loop: 'an image in the conversation could not be processed and was removed' burns all tokens

Bug summary

When an image (frequently a QR code) ends up in the conversation, every subsequent turn produces:

API Error: an image in the conversation could not be processed and was removed. Re-read the file with a different approach if you still need it.

The error repeats on every turn in a loop, rapidly consuming the entire token budget. The corrupted image stays in the thread history and re-contaminates each turn, so the only workaround is to abandon the chat and start a new one.

Environment

• Claude Code: VSCode native extension (Remote Control connected)
• Model: Opus 4.8 (1M context) claude-opus-4-8[1m]
• OS: Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26200

Steps to reproduce

1. Have an image (e.g. a generated QR code) read into / appear in the conversation.
2. Continue the conversation normally.
3. Observe the "API Error: an image ... could not be processed and was removed" message returning on every turn.

Expected

The unprocessable image should be removed/stripped once, the turn should continue, and tokens should not keep being spent re-attempting it every turn.

Actual

The error loops indefinitely, the agent keeps "Processing...", and tokens are drained until the user manually interrupts and starts a fresh chat. Reported multiple times.

Impact

High — uncontrolled token consumption with no easy in-chat recovery