Iran has declared that all of Elon Musk's business interests in the Middle East, including SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service and the social media platform X, will be considered legitimate military targets, according to a report from state media outlet Fars.
Expanded Target List
Tehran is broadening its military target list to include all interests related to economic holdings managed by Elon Musk in West Asia, which encompasses regional Starlink ground stations. Iranian officials claim that Musk's companies have actively facilitated high-tech US and Israeli military operations against Iran, supporting advanced weaponry such as aerial attack drones and unmanned maritime strike vessels.
Citing an informed source, Fars reported that Iran believes the United States has committed war crimes with direct assistance from Musk-managed corporations. The source stated: "The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to attack all facilities related to Musk-managed holdings in the region and occupied territories."
Context of Escalating Tensions
The warning from Iranian state media came shortly after a public social media post from President Donald Trump, who warned that the US would strike Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT." Trump added that American forces would move to seize control of Kharg Island, Iran's critical oil-export hub.
Previous Threats Against Tech Companies
This is not the first time Iran has threatened technology companies. Earlier this year, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) expanded its focus beyond traditional military hardware to target Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI) firms. The IRGC reportedly named more than 18 high-profile American companies on its official hit list, including:
- Social Media and Search: Meta (parent of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) and Google.
- Computing and Chips: Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, and chip giant Nvidia.
- Defense, Logistics, and Automation: Palantir, Boeing, and Tesla.
Previously, multiple Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain were damaged from Iranian drone strikes, according to reports. These strikes disrupted power delivery and triggered water damage from fire suppression systems.
