Trump’s Representative Appeals to Musk for Complimentary Starlink Service in Iran

The Starlink system, touted as a tool for humanitarian aid, has become vital for coordinating on the ground and for drone operations.

Richard Grenell, the US Presidential Envoy for Special Assignments, has appealed to Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, to provide complimentary Starlink access throughout Iran. This would enable his “friends” to maintain constant access to information amidst escalating Israeli airstrikes against Tehran.

Grenell, previously the acting Director of National Intelligence, posted on X, asking “Can you turn on Starlink for free in Iran for the next few weeks, @elonmusk? My friends inside Iran don’t have regular access to information right now. I’ll chip in a donation and I think others would, too,”

Musk has not yet publicly responded to the request. He had previously stated that the “beams are on,” implying the service is technically operational, although accessing Starlink requires a specialized satellite dish for signal reception and transmission.

Reportedly, when Israel initiated a surprise “pre-emptive” strike on Iranian nuclear facilities last week, Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, activated sleeper cells that had smuggled drones into Iran to attack defensive infrastructure from within.

As the possibility of Washington joining the bombing campaign increases, Iranian authorities have significantly restricted communications, isolating the country’s internet. They have also advised citizens to remove WhatsApp, accusing Israel of using the Meta-owned application to monitor users.

Richard Grenell, formerly the US ambassador to Germany and acting Director of National Intelligence, is now the Presidential Envoy for Special Missions under Donald Trump, handling various diplomatic crises and international back-channel efforts.

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