US administrations sought to alter Starlink access abroad

Successive U.S. administrations asked SpaceX to expand or restrict Starlink service in several countries, including efforts to enable access in Iran and limit use by armed groups in Yemen and Lebanon, according to former officials familiar with the discussions. The Biden administration asked SpaceX to activate Starlink in Iran during protests in September 2022, one former senior official told Reuters. The official said terminals were moved into Iran with help from the administration, but did not say how many. A former Trump administration official and another person familiar with the matter said the administration discussed activating Starlink in Iran after U.S.-Israeli strikes in June 2025 and February 2026. They said the aim was to improve internet access and communications for antigovernment protesters. Neither the Trump administration nor SpaceX has publicly confirmed that the terminals discussed for those periods were activated. The Biden administration also asked SpaceX to identify and disable terminals officials believed had reached Houthi members in Yemen and Hezbollah members in Lebanon through intermediaries, according to former officials. The administration shared...