Tesla CEO Elon Musk holds a mobile phone as he arrives to attend a state dinner with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 14, 2026.
Evan Vucci | Reuters
Iran will treat all of Elon Musk’s companies in the Middle East, including SpaceX’s Starlink internet service, as military targets in retaliation against the United States, Iranian state media Fars reported on Thursday.
According to a translated post on Fars’ Telegram page, Iran is targeting “all interests associated with Elon Musk-controlled economic holdings in West Asia,” including the region’s Starlink ground stations.
Citing “informed sources,” Fars News Agency reported that Iran alleges that the United States committed war crimes against Iran with the help of mask-related companies.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to attack all facilities related to (Musk’s) controlled holdings in the region and occupied territories,” the official said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has previously threatened other U.S. tech companies, including Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, and Google.
Fars’ report was published around the same time that President Donald Trump warned on his social media accounts that the United States would attack Iran “very hard tonight.”
In the same message, Trump said the United States would soon take control of Kharg Island, Iran’s oil export hub, and “other oil infrastructure sites.”
SpaceX and the White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Fals’ post.
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Mr. Musk’s threat to target regional economic actors comes as the United States and Iran have launched a spate of attacks in recent days, straining efforts to reach a peace deal and further invalidating a tattered ceasefire.
President Trump accused Iran of shooting down a U.S. military helicopter that crashed while on patrol over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night.
The United States launched an attack in retaliation on Tuesday, triggering a military response from Iran. The US launched more missiles on Wednesday.
“We dropped $250 million worth of bombs on them last night,” President Trump said in a Fox News interview Thursday morning.
