Prime Minister Mohammed S. al-Sudani meets with a delegation from SpaceX’s Starlink, joined by U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris, during discussions on satellite-internet licensing and cooperation in Iraq’s telecommunications sector.
Al-Sudani, Starlink delegation review final steps for Iraq satellite-internet license
BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani met Thursday with a delegation from SpaceX’s Starlink, joined by U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris, to review final procedures for granting satellite-internet licenses and to explore future cooperation in Iraq’s telecommunications sector.
Talks centered on the licensing process, including the license designated for SpaceX, as well as potential coverage areas and the company’s planned services. According to the prime minister’s office, al-Sudani said Iraq has taken steps to create conditions that attract global companies and support access to satellite-internet systems.
He said the government is determined to keep pace with global developments in information and communications technology “through enhanced cooperation with SpaceX and its entry into the Iraqi market, which today presents substantial and promising investment opportunities.”
Al-Sudani said Iraq’s telecommunications sector is guided by national priorities, including preserving technological and information sovereignty and investing in the expertise of young Iraqi professionals so they can eventually assume full operational responsibilities.
The Starlink delegation expressed strong interest in establishing operations in Iraq and developing partnerships in the country’s information-technology sector. The representatives said the company is prepared to begin providing satellite-internet services “within a short period,” pending issuance of its official operating license.
In May 2025, al-Sudani also met a Starlink delegation to discuss potential cooperation in Iraq’s communications sector, including service capabilities and coverage plans. At that meeting, he highlighted what he described as Iraq’s expanding investment opportunities and referenced the broader partnership with the United States under the Strategic Framework Agreement. He directed relevant authorities to identify ways to facilitate Starlink’s entry into the Iraqi market as part of the government’s digital-transformation efforts. The SpaceX delegation expressed readiness to begin operations and said Starlink’s services would support digital transformation in public and private institutions and strengthen economic cooperation between Iraq and the United States.