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Iranian state media said facilities tied to Elon Musk’s companies in the Middle East could be treated as military targets, citing Starlink’s role in helping Iranians bypass regime internet controls.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iranian state media has warned that facilities connected to Elon Musk’s companies in the Middle East may be added to Tehran’s military target list, raising the prospect that private American technology assets could become part of the expanding U.S.-Iran conflict.
The warning, reported by CNBC, came from Iran’s state-owned Fars News Agency and specifically referenced Musk-linked holdings in “West Asia,” including Arab countries and Israel.
“All interests related to economic holdings managed by Elon Musk in West Asia, including Arab countries and Israel, have been entirely included in the initial list for drafting new targets,” Fars reported.
An “informed source” quoted by the outlet said Tehran believes it has the right to strike facilities tied to Musk’s businesses in the region.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to attack all facilities related to holdings managed by Musk in the region and occupied territories,” the source said.
The threat appears directed largely at SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet network, which has been used by anti-regime activists inside Iran to get around government internet shutdowns and communication restrictions. Iranian authorities have banned Starlink terminals and imposed criminal penalties on people caught using them.
Inside Iran, using Starlink devices or Wi-Fi networks can carry a punishment of up to two years in prison. Terminals have reportedly been smuggled into the country during anti-government uprisings and periods when the state restricted internet access.
The U.S. State Department reportedly purchased nearly 6,000 Starlink terminals, most of them in January, to help Iranian civilians bypass regime communication controls. Officials were reportedly unsure whether President Donald Trump or another figure directly approved the purchase plan.
For Tehran, Starlink is more than a private satellite internet service. Iranian officials view it as a threat to the regime’s ability to shut down dissent, control information and isolate opposition movements from the outside world.
Similar warnings surfaced earlier in 2026, when Iranian state media and figures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps described Starlink as a “legitimate target.” Iranian-aligned threats have also referenced other American technology companies, including Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft and Google.
The latest Fars report was published as the U.S.-Iran conflict entered another volatile stage, with both sides exchanging strikes and an already fragile ceasefire deteriorating.
Trump used Truth Social on Thursday morning to warn that the United States would strike Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT” after two days of military exchanges. In the same post, Trump said the U.S. would eventually seize Kharg Island and other Iranian oil infrastructure points, saying the move would allow Washington to assume “total control” of Iran’s oil and gas markets.
A social media post about the developing conflict was shared on X.
“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets,” Trump wrote, comparing the plan to what he described as the American approach toward Venezuela.
Kharg Island is Iran’s key oil export hub and one of the most important energy sites in the Persian Gulf. Any U.S. move against it would mark a major escalation by shifting the conflict from strikes on military and maritime assets toward direct pressure on Iran’s economic lifeline.
The latest fighting followed the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening.
U.S. Central Command said American forces launched “self-defense strikes” against Iranian targets beginning at 5:15 p.m. Eastern time on orders from the commander in chief. CENTCOM said the strikes targeted Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air-defense sites.
The United States later launched additional strikes on Iranian military targets, including ground-control stations and sites in southern Iran. Reports indicated dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired during the exchanges.
Iran responded by claiming attacks on U.S. bases and facilities in the region. Tehran said it fired at sites in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, including the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
Iranian state media also claimed the Strait of Hormuz was closed to all vessels “regardless of type.” CENTCOM disputed that claim, saying commercial ships were still moving through the strait.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said an 11-year-old girl was injured in what it called “sinful Iranian aggression.” Authorities also reported burned vehicles and damage to homes in Hamad City and Manama after drone debris fell following interceptions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned U.S. strikes and accused Gulf states hosting American bases of aligning with “the aggressor parties.”
Trump has described the campaign as a major blow to Iranian military power. In a Fox News interview Thursday morning, he said, “We dropped $250 million worth of bombs on them last night.”
The president also threatened to “bomb the s**t out of Iran” again if Tehran refuses to accept a deal. The administration says the strikes are intended to degrade Iran’s military capabilities and push the regime back into serious negotiations.
During the same Fox News interview, Trump was asked whether more bombing would follow.
“Yeah, there will be more bombing tonight. It’ll be bigger, more powerful,” Trump said.
“They’re finished but the papers, the media refuses to write it… We can walk in there tomorrow. We could take soldiers — I don’t want to have boots on the ground but if I want to we could put a small group of soldiers and take over the whole place. They’re finished,” he added.
A second post related to Trump’s remarks was also shared on X.
Iran’s threat against Musk-linked assets shows how the conflict may be expanding beyond traditional government and military targets. SpaceX, Starlink and other technology platforms are now part of a broader contest over communications infrastructure, information control and wartime pressure.
For Iranian dissidents, Starlink can provide a way around censorship and surveillance. For the Iranian regime, that makes the satellite internet network a strategic challenge during protests, blackouts and internal unrest.
That role has made Musk’s companies an unusually symbolic target. A private American communications network is now being portrayed by Iranian state media as part of the pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic.
Whether Tehran’s warning leads to action or remains rhetorical is unclear. But the threat signals that the next phase of the conflict could place private U.S. technology assets across the Middle East under greater pressure as the confrontation widens.
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