Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service led by Elon Musk, is moving closer to launching in Iraq after senior company executives visited Baghdad for high-level talks. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani met the delegation last Thursday, with discussions centered on final licensing steps required for SpaceX to begin providing satellite internet services in the country, according to a statement from the prime minister’s media office.
The statement said both sides highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation in Iraq’s communications sector, including the scope of services Starlink would provide and the areas it would cover. A Starlink executive cited in the statement indicated the company is ready to begin operations once approvals are completed.
Starlink is not yet available in Iraq, a market of roughly 46 million people, but interest has grown as the government pushes digital transformation and seeks to improve nationwide connectivity. Globally, Starlink operates in more than 125 countries and continues to expand across the Middle East and North Africa, where telecom demand is rising rapidly.
Despite that momentum, service availability in the region remains limited. Starlink is currently active in only a handful of markets, including Qatar, Jordan, and Oman, while larger and potentially more lucrative markets such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are still awaiting approval. In September, Lebanon granted Starlink an operating license as it works to improve connectivity amid economic strain, though the service is still listed as “coming soon” on Starlink’s availability map. Starlink has also held talks with Morocco regarding a satellite internet project in the Sahara, according to local media.
