BY MIRABEL ODETA
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he plans to speak with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran, where authorities have shut down online services for four consecutive days as anti-government protests continue to spread across the country.
Speaking to reporters, Trump praised Musk’s technological capabilities when asked whether he would consider engaging Musk’s SpaceX company, which operates the Starlink satellite internet service. Trump said Musk is highly skilled in this area and runs a company well suited to providing such services, signaling openness to using satellite technology to bypass Iran’s state-imposed blackout.
The potential cooperation comes despite a very public rift between the two men last year, when Musk strongly opposed Trump’s flagship tax bill. Relations appear to have improved in recent months, however. Trump and Musk were recently seen dining together at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is scheduled to visit a SpaceX facility in Texas on Monday, highlighting renewed engagement between Musk and the Trump administration.
Musk has previously expressed support for providing Starlink access to Iranians during periods of unrest, arguing that open internet access is essential for communication and the free flow of information. During widespread protests in 2022, Starlink was deployed in Iran after the country experienced mass demonstrations following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody. At that time, U.S. officials worked with Musk to enable the service as a way to help Iranians circumvent government restrictions.
Starlink has also played a role in other regions facing conflict or political instability, including Ukraine, where it became a critical communications tool during the war with Russia. Its use has occasionally sparked controversy due to decisions about access and operational limits in active conflict zones.
The current wave of unrest in Iran began on December 28, initially driven by public anger over rising prices and worsening economic conditions. The demonstrations have since evolved into broader protests against Iran’s clerical leadership, which has been in power since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Human rights groups say the crackdown has been severe. Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed since the protests began, and thousands have been detained. U.S.-based monitoring group HRANA has reported nearly 500 protester deaths and dozens of security force casualties, along with more than 10,600 arrests in just two weeks. Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll, and independent verification remains difficult due to the communications blackout.
Trump’s comments suggest the United States may once again look to private-sector technology to counter Iran’s restrictions and support access to information as the situation continues to unfold.
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