US in talks with Elon Musk to give Iranian protesters internet via Starlink satellites

The White House is in talks with Elon Musk about using his Starlink internet system in Iran to circumvent Tehran’s attempts to block online access and stymie anti-government protests.

The Biden administration is looking at ways to help Iranians who have been protesting for more than month since the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, in custody. She died in suspicious circumstances following her arrest by Iran’s morality police.

Iranian women have been especially active, openly defying the regime’s strict rules on dress, by removing their headscarves.

The theocratic government in Iran has tried to slow the spread of the protests by cutting access to the internet.

Musk’s SpaceX company, which runs the Starlink system, could provide reliable internet access which would be beyond the control of officials in Tehran.

“We have our foot on the gas to do everything we possibly can to support the aspirations of the Iranian people,” a senior administration official told CNN. “That is our policy, period. At the same time, it is truly an Iranian movement led by young girls and spreading to other aspects of society. And we do not want to in any way eclipse their movement.”

The Starlink system has already been deployed in Ukraine, although rows over who will pay for the network and clashes between Musk, the world’s richest man, and Ukrainian officials over how to end the war, have threatened its continued use.

The unpredictability of Musk, who is believed to be worth as much as $250 billion, has also given the US government pause for thought. “He’s a loose cannon we can never predict,” a senior US defence official told the network.

Starlink uses SpaceX’s 3,000 or so satellites to bedam internet service to terminals on the ground.

President Biden, 79, has been supportive of the Iranian protesters, and has said that his government “stands with Iranian women and all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their bravery”.

It is not clear how quickly the Starlink system could be deployed.

“We are interested in finding ways to ensure that the Iranian people can have access to the internet on their phones and everywhere else,” the unnamed official said. “And so Starlink is one option, but it is not the only option.”