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Satellite Internet

US asked Musk to switch Starlink on or off in several countries, Reuters reports

The Biden and Trump administrations repeatedly asked SpaceX to turn its Starlink service on or off in several countries, from Ukraine to Iran, according to six former senior US officials — requests Reuters reports are being disclosed for the first time.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 2 min read

The Biden and Trump administrations repeatedly asked Elon Musk’s SpaceX to turn its Starlink satellite internet service on or off in several countries, according to six former senior US officials familiar with the matter, Reuters reported. The previous requests are being reported for the first time, and all of the people spoke on condition of anonymity.

Under Joe Biden, the requests included switching off the service to prevent Iranian proxy militias in Yemen and Lebanon from using Starlink to communicate, and activating the service to provide internet access inside Iran and in Ukraine to support its military, four of the former officials said.

Biden officials shared intelligence with SpaceX indicating that Houthi and Hezbollah fighters were using diverted terminals obtained through intermediaries. In October 2023, during fighting in southern Lebanon, intelligence officials told the White House that individuals linked to Hezbollah could have gained access to Starlink terminals, and similar concerns arose about the Houthis in Yemen in 2024. In both cases, the administration asked SpaceX to identify the terminals and shut them off, and at least some were deactivated, two officials said.

In a separate instance, the Biden administration asked SpaceX to turn on Starlink in Iran during a protest movement launched in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini, according to one former official.

President Donald Trump’s administration discussed getting Starlink terminals into Iran and activated following US-Israeli strikes in June 2025 and again in February 2026, in hopes it would bolster internet access for anti-government protesters, a former senior Trump official and a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Neither the Trump administration nor SpaceX has publicly confirmed that those terminals were turned on.

The report comes amid a dispute over restrictions on Ukraine’s use of SpaceX satellite services.

Sources

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