Musk says Starlink will seek exemption from Iranian sanctions

Reuters

Published Sep 19, 2022 07:51PM ET

Updated Sep 20, 2022 12:50AM ET

(Reuters) - SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Monday that the company will ask for an exemption from sanctions against Iran to provide the firm's Starlink satellite broadband service in the country.

Musk made the statement on Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) at a time of widespread protests in Iran over the death of a woman in police custody. Some people on Twitter asked Musk to provide the satellite-based internet stations.

Access to social media and some content is tightly restricted in Iran and internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported "near-total" disruption to internet connectivity in the capital of the Kurdish region on Monday, linking it to the protests.

Iran's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology could not be immediately reached for comment. The foreign ministry, Iran's mission to the United Nations and the United States Bureau of Industry and Security did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.