The disclosures have renewed questions about the influence of a private company over US foreign policy and military communications.
\n\nSuccessive US administrations have repeatedly asked Elon Musk’s SpaceX to switch its Starlink satellite internet service on or off in different countries, according to a Reuters investigation citing six former senior US officials. The requests, made under former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, included restricting access for Iran-linked armed groups in the Middle East while expanding connectivity in Ukraine and Iran.
\n\nThe disclosures highlight how Washington has increasingly relied on Musk’s satellite communications network to advance its foreign policy and security objectives. They also come amid controversy over recent restrictions affecting Ukraine’s military access to SpaceX’s services, raising fresh questions about the extent to which a private company can influence battlefield communications.
\n\nAccording to the former officials cited by Reuters, the Biden administration sought to prevent Iran-linked Houthi fighters in Yemen and Hezbollah members in Lebanon from using Starlink terminals allegedly acquired through intermediaries. At the same time, Washington pushed SpaceX to expand the service for Ukraine’s military following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
\n\nThe Trump administration also discussed activating Starlink in Iran after US-Israeli strikes in 2025 and…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world
