The Joe Biden and Donald Trump administrations have repeatedly asked SpaceX to turn its Starlink satellite service on or off in various countries, including Ukraine, Iran, Yemen and Lebanon. This is according to six former senior US officials familiar with the talks between Washington and Elon Musk's company. The information was reported by Reuters.
During the Biden administration, the US insisted that Starlink be restricted for Iran-linked armed groups in Yemen and Lebanon. At the same time, Washington wanted to expand access to the service in Ukraine to support the Ukrainian military after Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
In October 2023, US intelligence warned the White House that individuals associated with “Hezbollah” may have gained access to Starlink terminals. In 2024, similar concerns arose about the Houthis in Yemen. According to two former officials, the administration asked SpaceX to identify the terminals and shut them down. At least some of them have been deactivated.
Iran has also been in talks
The Trump administration has also discussed with SpaceX activating Starlink in Iran after US-Israeli strikes in June 2025 and February 2026. The goal was to improve internet access and communications for anti-government protesters. Neither the White House nor SpaceX have publicly confirmed that the terminals were turned on.
During the 2022 protests in Iran, the Biden administration also requested that Starlink be activated. One of the former officials claims that terminals were transferred to the country with the help of the US administration, but does not specify their number.
The dispute over restrictions in Ukraine
The revelations come against the backdrop of a dispute over the restriction of the Ukrainian army's access to Starshield - the military version of the Starlink system. According to Reuters, the order to slow down the service came from the White House, with two US officials and a Western representative linking the decision to the US administration. It was not specified who specifically gave the order.
Ukrainian officials said that the restrictions affected the operation of drones that use Starshield for control and communication. They also complicated defense against Russian missiles and drones. "Our priority is to restore service to normal speeds as soon as possible, because lives depend on it," said Halyna Yusipyuk, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian embassy in Washington.
President Donald Trump said he had not spoken to Musk about the issue and that "if there is a problem, I will fix it." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that decisions about Starlink access were a matter for SpaceX and Musk, not the White House. This contradicted earlier reports and sources that said the decision to restrict Starshield was made in Washington.
Musk himself wrote that Starshield is "owned and controlled by the US government" and that restrictions on speed or use are decided by the US military and ultimately by the president. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.
Sources: reuters.com, investing.com, timesofisrael.com