Iranian state media outlet Fars News Agency reported Thursday that Iran has placed all of Elon Musk's economic holdings across the Middle East on a military target list, citing the use of Starlink infrastructure by U.S. and Israeli forces.

Key Highlights

  • Broad designation: Iran's IRGC-affiliated Fars stated all interests related to Elon Musk's companies in West Asia have been added to an initial target list.
  • Starlink in eight countries: Ground stations in Israel, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, and Lebanon were specifically identified.
  • Tesla locations named: Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) premises in Israel, UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia were included in the designation.
  • SpaceX infrastructure cited: Properties linked to SpaceX investors Alpha Dhabi and Mubadala were also named by Fars.
  • Military rationale: Iran cited evidence that U.S. and Israeli forces used Starlink-connected infrastructure in operations against Iranian targets.

Iranian state media outlet Fars News Agency reported Thursday that Iran has designated all economic holdings linked to Elon Musk across the Middle East as military targets, broadening the commercial dimension of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. The statement, published via Fars' Telegram page, said that "all interests related to economic holdings managed by Elon Musk in West Asia, including Arab countries and Israel," have been included in an initial list for drafting new targets.

The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to strike Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT" and his stated intention to seize Kharg Island, Iran's primary crude export terminal. Iran cited the use of Starlink satellite internet infrastructure by U.S. and Israeli military forces as the direct justification for the designation.

Starlink ground stations across eight countries, including Israel, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, and Lebanon, were identified within the scope of the target list. SpaceX-related properties and equipment linked to Abu Dhabi sovereign investors Alpha Dhabi and Mubadala were also named.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), which operates showrooms and service facilities across Israel, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, was identified as part of Musk's commercial holdings in the region. Tesla's Middle Eastern operations represent a small fraction of the company's global footprint, and it has no significant manufacturing presence in the region.

Starlink has also played a separate role within Iran itself, providing internet access to users inside the country by bypassing state-imposed restrictions during periods of civil unrest, which Iran cited as additional grievance against Musk's companies.

The IRGC-affiliated outlet tied the threats to a formula linking U.S. commercial infrastructure to alleged military use, with the statement covering eight countries across the region. As of Thursday, no confirmed attacks on any Musk-linked assets had been reported.

SpaceX, which remains privately held, was separately reported to be pricing its public offering at approximately $135 per share on Friday, valuing the company at roughly $1.8 trillion.