Iran threatens SpaceX and Starlink-linked assets in West Asia

Iran's military has said it will consider Elon Musk's companies, including SpaceX's Starlink internet service, as potential targets in West Asia, according to Iranian state media. The warning was framed as part of Tehran's retaliation against renewed US attacks. A regional Starlink ground station was specifically mentioned as a possible target.

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The report said Iran was targeting "all interests related to economic holdings managed by Elon Musk in West Asia". It cited an "informed source" saying the Islamic Republic reserves the right to attack facilities linked to Musk-managed holdings in the region and in occupied territories. The warning appeared around the same time as Donald Trump issued a fresh threat that American forces would attack Iran "very hard tonight".

The threat comes amid a sharp rise in tensions after the US and Iran exchanged strikes over the past few days. The reporting said the latest escalation was putting pressure on a ceasefire signed between Washington and Tehran on 8 April. It also said the fighting was complicating efforts to reach an agreement to end a three-month-old conflict.

The immediate concern is that technology and communications infrastructure could become part of the wider confrontation. The mention of Starlink is significant because the service has been used in military and security contexts, and the report said it has supported high-tech systems including unmanned surveillance and strike vessels and aerial attack drones. That makes the threat broader than a commercial dispute, since it links private technology assets to active military operations.

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It also raises the risk that infrastructure in West Asia could be drawn into retaliatory action even if it is not directly involved in combat. The warning is not the first time Iranian forces have threatened US technology companies in the Gulf region. The report said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has previously named Microsoft, Google, Apple and Nvidia in similar threats.

That history suggests the latest statement fits a wider pattern of pressure on US-linked digital and industrial assets during periods of confrontation. It also underlines how technology firms can become symbolic and practical targets in interstate disputes. SpaceX is also described in the report as entering the US share market and attracting more than $70 billion in retail investor orders for its IPO, with a target to raise $75 billion at a valuation of $1.8 trillion.

That financial backdrop adds another layer of significance, although the immediate issue remains the regional security threat. What remains unclear is whether Iran has identified specific sites beyond the reported ground station, and whether any protective measures have been taken. The next developments to watch are whether the US and Iran continue exchanging strikes, and whether the threat is followed by any action against regional communications assets.

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