diff --git a/src/anthropic/lib/tools/agent_toolset.py b/src/anthropic/lib/tools/agent_toolset.py
index d771996a..70f9aa95 100644
--- a/src/anthropic/lib/tools/agent_toolset.py
+++ b/src/anthropic/lib/tools/agent_toolset.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 import uuid
+import base64
 import shutil
 import logging
 import subprocess
@@ -144,6 +145,20 @@ def _fs_error(op: str, file_path: str, e: OSError) -> ToolError:
     return ToolError(f"{op}: {file_path}: {reason}")
 
 
+_BINARY_MEDIA_TYPES: dict[str, str] = {
+    ".jpg": "image/jpeg",
+    ".jpeg": "image/jpeg",
+    ".png": "image/png",
+    ".gif": "image/gif",
+    ".webp": "image/webp",
+    ".pdf": "application/pdf",
+}
+
+
+def _binary_media_type(path: Path) -> str | None:
+    return _BINARY_MEDIA_TYPES.get(path.suffix.lower())
+
+
 def _empty_skill_dirs() -> list[Path]:
     return []
 
@@ -494,7 +509,7 @@ async def bash(
 
 def beta_read_tool(ctx: AgentToolContext) -> BetaAsyncFunctionTool[Any]:
     @beta_async_tool(name="read", input_schema=BetaManagedAgentsAgentToolset20260401ReadInput)
-    async def read(file_path: str, view_range: Optional[List[int]] = None) -> str:
+    async def read(file_path: str, view_range: Optional[List[int]] = None) -> Any:
         """Read a file rooted at the working directory."""
         try:
             target = resolve_path(ctx, file_path)
@@ -513,9 +528,16 @@ async def read(file_path: str, view_range: Optional[List[int]] = None) -> str:
                     f"read: {file_path} is {st.st_size} bytes, exceeds {limit}-byte limit. "
                     "Use bash (head/tail/sed) to read a slice."
                 )
+            media = _binary_media_type(target)
+            if media is not None:
+                data = base64.standard_b64encode(target.read_bytes()).decode("ascii")
+                kind = "document" if media == "application/pdf" else "image"
+                return [{"type": kind, "source": {"type": "base64", "media_type": media, "data": data}}]
             text = target.read_text()
         except ToolError:
             raise
+        except UnicodeDecodeError as e:
+            raise ToolError(f"read: {file_path}: file is not valid UTF-8 text; use bash to inspect binary files") from e
         except OSError as e:
             raise _fs_error("read", file_path, e) from e
         if not view_range: