U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to speak with billionaire Elon Musk regarding the restoration of internet access in Iran, where authorities have cut services for four days amid ongoing anti-government protests.
“He is very good at this kind of thing, he has a very good company,” Trump told reporters when asked about potentially engaging Musk’s company, SpaceX, which provides the satellite internet service Starlink, already used in Iran.
Musk and SpaceX have not immediately commented on the development.
The Iranian government has restricted the flow of information since Thursday, targeting citizens amid protests against the clerical establishment that have been ongoing since 2022.
Trump and Musk maintain a longstanding, if sometimes contentious, relationship. Musk helped finance Trump’s successful presidential campaign and later implemented massive reductions in federal government programs. Although the two had a public disagreement last year over Trump’s proposed tax legislation, their relationship appears to have been revived, with the pair reportedly dining together this month at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to visit a SpaceX facility in Texas on Monday, signaling continued coordination between the U.S. administration and the company.
Starlink has been a key tool for bypassing government-imposed internet restrictions, including during the 2022 protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody. Starlink has also been deployed in other conflict zones, including Ukraine, although Musk controversially ordered its shutdown during a major offensive in 2022.
The discussions between Trump and Musk could potentially restore internet access for millions of Iranians, enabling them to communicate and organize amid the ongoing crackdown.
