According to a Reuters report, the requests by both administrations included expanding the availability of Starlink services in Ukraine and Iran, while restricting access to Iran-backed groups in the Middle East.
- Officials in the two administrations shared intelligence with SpaceX indicating that the groups had obtained diverted Starlink terminals through intermediaries.
- The Biden administration also pushed SpaceX to expand Starlink access for Ukraine after Russia’s invasion in 2022.
- The Trump administration reportedly made similar requests following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in 2025 and 2026.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SPCX) has reportedly been asked multiple times by the Biden and Trump administrations to toggle its Starlink services in Ukraine and the Middle East.
According to a Reuters report citing sources familiar with the matter, the requests by both administrations included expanding the availability of Starlink services in Ukraine and Iran, while restricting access to Iran-backed groups in the Middle East.
SpaceX shares gained nearly 2% in Friday’s regular trading session, and edged up by 0.1% further during the afterhours trade.
US Asked Musk To Control Starlink Access, Says Report
According to the report, officials in the two administrations shared intelligence with SpaceX indicating that the groups had obtained diverted Starlink terminals through intermediaries.
The terminals were subsequently deactivated in some cases, the report noted. The Biden administration also pushed SpaceX to expand Starlink access for Ukraine after Russia’s invasion in 2022.
The Biden administration separately asked SpaceX to activate Starlink in Iran during protests in the country, with the U.S. government helping move Starlink terminals into Iran.
The Trump administration reportedly made similar requests following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in 2025 and 2026. Trump officials discussed with Musk and SpaceX getting Starlink terminals into Iran and activating them to improve internet access and communications for anti-government protesters.
Starlink Under Scrutiny Over Slowdown Concerns In Ukraine
This comes amid concerns that SpaceX’s Starlink services have been slowed down in Ukraine.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the restrictions had affected military drones, while reports suggested that the order to throttle Starshield came from inside the White House.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has maintained that SpaceX-powered Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government and that decisions on speed or usage ultimately rest with the U.S. military and the president.
Trump Backs Musk
Amid this, Trump told reporters on Friday that while he believes that the Starlink throttling issue over Ukraine has been fixed, he would speak to Musk if that is not the case. He also backed the SpaceX CEO, saying that he’s a “good person.”
“He’s not going to do anything wrong. He’s a very brilliant person, or Starlink wouldn’t exist. But Elon will never do anything wrong, I know him very well. He’s a fair person,” Trump said.
What Retail Investors Think Of SPCX Stock
Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around SpaceX trended in the ‘extremely bullish’ territory at the time of writing.
One bullish user believes that SpaceX is a “no brainer” for investment, highlighting the company’s “cutting edge technology” on offer.
View this Stocktwits post
SPCX stock is down 2% year-to-date. The S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is up 11% over the past 12 months, while the Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is up 10%.
For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<