From Iran to Venezuela to Ukraine: How Elon Musk's Starlink became a quiet force in wars, protests and fight for internet access

A man sits next to a woman browsing a phone outside a building in Tehran on September 10, 2023. (File image used for representation.)

SpaceX’s Starlink provides vital internet in crisis zones like Iran, Venezuela, and Ukraine, bypassing government restrictions. However, Elon Musk’s private control sparks debate over accountability, power, and national sovereignty.

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The world is becoming more unstable, with protests, wars, and political upheaval unfolding across multiple regions at the same time. From Iran to Venezuela to Ukraine, governments are struggling to control territory, information, and public opinion. In this volatile environment, one private technology has emerged as a powerful geopolitical tool: Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX and owned by billionaire Elon Musk.

Unlike traditional internet systems that depend on cables, cell towers, and ground infrastructure, Starlink uses thousands of low Earth orbit satellites to beam internet access directly to users. This has made it especially valuable in places where governments shut down connectivity or where war has destroyed infrastructure.

But it has also raised serious questions about power, control, and accountability.

Iran: Keeping protests visible despite internet blackouts

In Iran, Starlink has played a critical role during weeks of protests against the Islamic regime. One of the first responses by Iranian authorities was to impose near total internet blackouts, disabling fibre optic networks and cellular services to prevent information from leaving the country.

Despite this, Starlink has continued to function in some areas. A user in western Iran said they knew “dozens of people” using Starlink, particularly in border towns where access remained less disrupted. Protesters have relied on the service to upload videos of demonstrations and security force crackdowns.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed receiving reports of “patchy” but existing Starlink access.

Starlink works differently from conventional broadband. Ground stations send signals to satellites orbiting the Earth, which then relay data directly to user terminals. This makes it far harder for governments to shut down entirely.

Iran has responded by criminalising Starlink. A law passed in June bans its use, with penalties ranging from six months to two years in prison. In cases involving alleged espionage, the punishment can be death.

There are now reports that Iran is actively trying to jam Starlink signals. According to Iran Wire, initial disruptions affected about 30 percent of Starlink traffic, but that figure has risen to over 80 percent. Iranian authorities have launched searches for Starlink dishes, particularly in parts of western Tehran, describing the effort as an “electronic warfare” campaign.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he plans to speak to Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran.

“He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” Trump told reporters.

Musk has previously supported providing Starlink access to Iranians, including during protests in 2022. Reports suggest that between 40,000 and 50,000 people in Iran currently use the service.

Venezuela: A source of clarity during chaos

In Venezuela, Starlink became a key source of information after the United States deposed long time leader Nicolas Maduro. The country was already struggling with poor connectivity before the operation, and airstrikes on Caracas further damaged power and internet infrastructure.

As confusion spread, more Venezuelans turned to Starlink to understand what was happening.

Starlink announced it would provide free broadband service in Venezuela until February 3, 2026. Elon Musk shared the announcement on social media, calling it a gesture “in support of the people of Venezuela”.

However, access remains limited to those who already own Starlink equipment and have registered accounts.

Ukraine: A digital lifeline in wartime

Nowhere has Starlink’s role been more visible than in Ukraine.

The service was activated just days after Russia invaded in 2022. Since then, repeated Russian strikes on communication infrastructure have made Starlink essential for both civilian life and military operations.

By April 2025, Ukraine had more than 50,000 Starlink terminals. They are used to keep railways, hospitals, schools, and government offices online during attacks. The Ukrainian military depends on Starlink to coordinate troop movements, operate drones, and maintain battlefield communications.

Ukraine’s digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov told the Times that Starlink is “the blood of our entire communication infrastructure now”.

Civilians also use the service to stay in touch with family, work remotely, and follow developments in frontline regions.

Concerns emerged last year after reports suggested Musk was considering switching off Starlink to pressure Ukraine during negotiations with the United States over a $500 billion rare earths deal. Musk denied this.

“I would never turn off [Starlink] terminals,” Musk said at the time, adding he would never use them as “a bargaining chip”.

Still, experts warn of risks. Dario Garcia de Viedma, a fellow of technology and digital policy at the Elcano Royal Institute in Spain, told EuroNews, “There are obviously concerns about tech sovereignty because then you will only be depending on one provider, Starlink … but sovereignty at this point becomes a second priority … priority number one is winning the war.”

“Ukraine is definitely making sovereignty concessions to win the war and so is Europe,” he added.

The risks of private control

Not everyone is comfortable with one private company holding so much influence over global communications.

A US defence official told The New Yorker, “Living in the world we live in, in which Elon runs this company and it is a private business under his control, we are living off his good graces.”

In Britain, similar concerns have been raised. Martha Lane Fox, a member of the House of Lords and former board member of X, warned during a parliamentary debate, “Elon Musk’s current global dominance exemplifies the dangers of concentrated power in unregulated domains.”

“Its control rests solely with Musk, allowing his whims to dictate access to vital infrastructure,” she said.

These concerns are not theoretical. In July last year, Starlink suffered a global outage that lasted two and a half hours. Ukrainian military units relying on the system were suddenly offline.

Oleksandr Dmitriev, founder of OCHI, a Ukrainian platform that aggregates drone feeds from across the frontline, said the incident exposed a major vulnerability.

“If connection to the internet is lost … the ability to conduct combat operations is practically gone,” he said, calling dependence on cloud based systems a “huge risk”.

There are also lingering concerns from 2022, when Musk ordered a Starlink shutdown during a Ukrainian offensive in Kherson. Reports said Musk feared a Russian escalation. The offensive later failed, and Ukrainian officials were left shaken.

Musk later told the Financial Times that China had asked him to ensure Starlink was not available to Chinese citizens. The service remains inactive in China to this day.

A new kind of power

There is currently no international legal framework governing how privately owned satellite networks should operate during wars or political crises. As conflicts increasingly revolve around information and connectivity, Starlink has shown how a single company can shape events far beyond national borders.

In today’s world, access to the internet can decide whether protests are seen, whether armies can fight, and whether governments can control the narrative. Increasingly, that power rests not with states, but with the world’s richest man.