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President Donald Trump said Sunday that he plans to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran, where authorities have shut down services for several days during widespread anti-government protests.
The president made the comments in response to a reporter’s question about whether he would work with Musk’s SpaceX company, which operates the Starlink satellite internet service that has previously been used in Iran.
“He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” President Trump told reporters, according to Reuters.
Iran has imposed an internet blackout since Thursday, restricting the flow of information as protests spread in what analysts describe as the most extensive demonstrations against the country’s leadership since 2022.
Musk has previously supported efforts to provide Starlink access to Iranians during periods of unrest, including during protests in 2022. That year, the Biden administration worked with Musk to enable Starlink service after Iran was rocked by demonstrations following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
Iran’s current wave of protests began Dec. 28 over rising prices before expanding into broader opposition to the clerical establishment that has ruled the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Human rights groups estimate that hundreds of people have been killed in the unrest.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it has confirmed the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces, with more than 10,600 people arrested in roughly two weeks of demonstrations. Iranian authorities have not released official figures, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the tolls.
Last week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blasted President Trump in a post to X.
“The US President has said that if the Iranian govt. does such-and-such, I’ll take the side of the rioters. The rioters have put their hopes in him. If he’s so capable, he should manage his own country,” he wrote on X.
“Our enemies don’t know Iran. In the past, the US failed due to their flawed planning. Today too, their flawed scheming will cause them to fail,” he added.
