{"id":73450,"date":"2026-10-22T14:38:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-intervenes-in-starlink-throttling-u-s-blockade-costs-iran-25b\/73450\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T14:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:38:16","slug":"trump-intervenes-in-starlink-throttling-u-s-blockade-costs-iran-25b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/trump-intervenes-in-starlink-throttling-u-s-blockade-costs-iran-25b\/73450\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Intervenes in Starlink Throttling; U.S. Blockade Costs Iran $25B"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>President Trump personally requested Elon Musk lift Starlink restrictions<\/strong> in Ukraine, leading to a restoration of service speeds that had previously hampered Ukrainian drone operations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reports a $25 billion loss in Iranian <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">crude oil<\/a> revenue<\/strong> over the last 100 days due to a sustained naval blockade.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Canada\u2019s chief trade negotiator Janice Charette warned businesses<\/strong> not to expect a return to tariff-free trade with the U.S. as negotiations remain stalled.<\/li>\n<li><strong>SpaceX (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPCX\">SPCX<\/a>) faces increased scrutiny<\/strong> over the political and regulatory risks of private satellite infrastructure being used in active conflict zones.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The U.S. naval blockade has fully depleted Iran&#39;s shadow tanker reserves<\/strong>, effectively halting seaborne exports to major buyers like China.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Trump and Musk Resolve Starlink Service Throttling<\/h2>\n<p>U.S. President <strong>Donald Trump<\/strong> called <strong>Elon Musk<\/strong> to request the removal of speed restrictions on the <strong>Starlink<\/strong> satellite network in <strong>Ukraine<\/strong>, according to reports from the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>. The system was reportedly working more normally on Thursday, shortly after the conversation took place. The intervention follows a period of &quot;throttling&quot; that <strong>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/strong> claimed had blinded his country&#39;s drone and interceptor capabilities against Russian attacks.<\/p>\n<p>The controversy has sparked a debate over the influence of private entities on U.S. foreign policy. While some officials suggest <strong>Musk<\/strong> acted unilaterally to cap speeds at 100 mph, others indicate the decision was discussed with senior administration officials beforehand. For investors, the incident highlights the strategic but volatile nature of <strong>SpaceX (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPCX\">SPCX<\/a>)<\/strong>, which has become a critical component of modern military infrastructure.<\/p>\n<h2>U.S. Naval Blockade Cripples Iranian Oil Revenue<\/h2>\n<p><strong>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)<\/strong> announced today that its &quot;Steel Wall&quot; naval blockade against <strong>Iran<\/strong> has reached its 100-day milestone. The operation has successfully prevented the export of at least <strong>$25 billion<\/strong> worth of crude oil, significantly constraining the <strong>IRGC\u2019s<\/strong> ability to fund proxy militias and criminal networks. <strong>Admiral Brad Cooper<\/strong> noted that the blockade has imposed &quot;devastating costs&quot; on Iran&#39;s security apparatus.<\/p>\n<p>The blockade has led to the total depletion of Iran&#39;s &quot;shadow fleet&quot; reserves in Asian waters, meaning there is no longer oil available for discharge to <strong>China<\/strong>. While global oil prices have seen volatility, with <strong>Brent crude<\/strong> surging to <strong>$112 per barrel<\/strong> following reported Iranian retaliatory strikes in the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, the U.S. maintains that the blockade remains a primary tool of economic pressure.<\/p>\n<h2>Canada Braces for Permanent Trade Shift<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Canada\u2019s<\/strong> chief trade negotiator, <strong>Janice Charette<\/strong>, signaled a grim outlook for cross-border commerce, stating that businesses should no longer expect a return to the &quot;tariff-free&quot; status quo with the <strong>United States<\/strong>. This admission comes as <strong>Prime Minister Mark Carney<\/strong> and <strong>President Trump<\/strong> remain at odds over 50% tariffs on key sectors including autos, steel, and aluminum.<\/p>\n<p>The trade war has escalated into accusations of election interference, with the <strong>U.S. Embassy<\/strong> in Ottawa alleging that Canadian politicians are attempting to influence upcoming U.S. midterms through targeted counter-tariffs. <strong>Prime Minister Carney<\/strong> has unveiled a multibillion-dollar plan to shield Canadian manufacturing, acknowledging that the integrated North American trade bargain of previous decades has been fundamentally upended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways President Trump personally requested Elon Musk lift Starlink restrictions in Ukraine, leading to a restoration of service speeds 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