Connect with us

World

Italy and Starlink: What's at stake if a deal goes ahead?

Published

on

Italy and Starlink: What's at stake if a deal goes ahead?

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said her government is in talks with several private companies including Elon Musk’s SpaceX over the country’s telecoms security system. What consequences would a deal have if it went ahead?

ADVERTISEMENT

Reports have swirled for weeks that Italy is currently in talks with several private companies, including Elon Musk’s Space X, over a deal involving country’s telecoms security system.

Such a deal would mean that SpaceX would provide encryption services for the Italian government and communications infrastructure for the military and emergency service — potentially over a competing European Union project set to launch in 2029.

Leader Giorgia Meloni has admitted her government is in talks with several private companies, including SpaceX, but generally pushed back on rumours over the project.

She has denied both that a deal has been reached and that she has had any private discussions with Musk, with whom she has a friendship. In January, her office issued a statement saying the matter had not been discussed in the recent meeting between Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago.

When asked by reporters, Meloni said any potential deal would be firmly based on “national interests.”

Advertisement

Her position was echoed by Giangiacomo Calovini, an MP for the Bothers of Italy party, who told Euronews, “let’s clarify things, the government has not signed anything, even though exchanges and relations between Rome and Washington are strong.”

The politician said that Meloni was “acting in Italy’s and Europe’s best interests. We’ll evaluate which solution will be the best, while waiting for Europe to possibly offer its guarantees, both on a technical and security level, which are not in place yet.”

Calvoni’s comments point to the IRIS², the EU’s 10 billion multi-orbital constellation of 290 satellites, which won’t be fully operational before 2030.

The project is one of the main pillars of the EU’s defence strategy and will also be available to private customers. Italy is widely expected to be participant in the project, to which EU member states can sign additional contracts at a national level.

However, with speculation over a competing deal with Musk, the tech billionaire’s Italian representative Andrea Stroppa has responded to what a deal between SpaceX and Italy would look like. Stroppa has said that Italy would have full control of its data.

Advertisement

He also added that Elon Musk himself does not decide whether the Starlink satellite system is turned on or off. Stroppa further pointed out the cost-effectiveness of Starlink’s services compared with other competitors including the EU.

Frediano Finucci, a journalist and author who recently wrote a book titled “The Great Game of Satellite” told Euronews, “preserving communications security is a strategic asset and it’s a question of trust.”

”Italy uses satellite communications for the military provided by both Italy and France, a country with which Italy has argued in the past, although Italy trusts France. Now having to rely on external provider like the US, it’s not about mistrust, as the US is also an ally. However as Meloni said, the problem is not that it’s American technology, the issue is that Elon Musk is behind it.”

Finucci also pointed to the fact that even if data in the deal with SpaceX is encrypted and secure, Starlink could still detect unusual communication patterns.

“Starlink would still have the ability to detect whether an unusual amount of communication is being sent from either an embassy or a military ship, similar to what occurred between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when embassy staff used telegraphs to send diplomatic dispatches between capitals,” Finucci said.

Advertisement
ADVERTISEMENT

”Spies would stand in front of telegraphs, and if there was too much activity, they would suspect something was not right. It’s impossible to prevent Starlink from keeping track of traffic”.

From a political perspective, a potential deal with SpaceX could have several consequences. Giovanni Orsina from Luiss University told Euronews, “If a deal were signed it would further signal close personal relations betwen Meloni, Musk, and Trump.”

“It would be interesting to see if any tensions arise between Italy and Europe. Right now, Italy is caught between the US and Europe.”

Professor Orsina believes it’s too early to predict when a potential deal with Starlink might be finalised as the operation is still under review.

ADVERTISEMENT

However it’s still possible that the Italian government may have wanted to delay taking a decision until after Trump’s inauguration next week.

World

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over ceasefire violations

Published

on

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over ceasefire violations
Iran’s top joint military command, ​Khatam al-Anbiya Central ‌Headquarters, said on Saturday that the Strait ​of Hormuz would ​be closed to vessel ⁠traffic, citing ​alleged violations of a ​ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel, Iran’s ​Mehr state ​news agency reported.
Continue Reading

World

Keir Starmer reportedly considering stepping down as PM and could announce timetable for departure

Published

on

Keir Starmer reportedly considering stepping down as PM and could announce timetable for departure

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering stepping down and could announce a timetable for his departure as early as Monday, according to a report published Saturday.

Advertisement

Britain’s Observer newspaper reported that Starmer was discussing his future with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision.

The outlet reported that senior Labour Party figures expect a statement addressing his future as early as next week.

A government source told Reuters that Starmer remains focused on governing and pointed to previous comments in which he vowed to remain in office.

AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer awaits Switzerland’s Federal President Guy Parmelin on the sidelines of the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday. (Isabel Infantes/Pool Reuters via AP)

Advertisement

Fox News Digital has reached out to the prime minister’s office for comment.

Pressure on Starmer has been building for months amid growing dissatisfaction within his party and concerns over the government’s handling of the economy and cost-of-living issues.

The political threat to Starmer intensified Friday after rival Andy Burnham won a seat in Parliament, positioning him to mount a formal leadership challenge.

LABOUR MP PUTS CABINET ‘ON NOTICE,’ THREATENS TO TRIGGER LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AGAINST STARMER BY MONDAY

Britain’s Labour party candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, Friday. (Jon Super/AP)

Advertisement

Starmer congratulated Burnham following the victory, writing on X that voters, “chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.”

When asked about Burnham’s apparent ambitions to replace him, Starmer insisted he intends to remain in office.

“I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that,” Starmer said.

UK’S STARMER JUGGLES TROUBLE AT HOME AS HE WALKS GEOPOLITICAL TIGHTROPE WITH TRUMP

Sir Keir Starmer is battling to save his position and refusing to stand aside despite dozens of Labout MP’s demanding he resigns. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Advertisement

Starmer has led the Labour Party since 2020 and became prime minister in 2024.

Calls for his resignation intensified last month, with more than 100 Labour lawmakers publicly urging him to step aside or set out a timetable for his departure. Several parliamentary aides also resigned in protest.

The internal revolt followed a series of disappointing local election results for Labour, which lost hundreds of council seats across England, surrendered long-held ground in Wales and fell behind political rivals in Scotland.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks a news conference at Downing Street in London, March 5. (Tolga Akmen/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

Starmer’s popularity has also declined amid a persistently high cost of living, sluggish economic growth and criticism over his acceptance of gifts from wealthy donors.

Fox News Digital’s James Cirrone and Emma Bussey, and Reuters contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

World

Trump vows Iran will not charge Strait of Hormuz tolls, but says US might

Published

on

Trump vows Iran will not charge Strait of Hormuz tolls, but says US might

United States President Donald Trump has pledged there will be no tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, unless they are collected by his own country.

Trump’s statement, made in a Saturday afternoon post on Truth Social, is the latest sign that a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) may be unravelling.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

“There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired,” Trump wrote, “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America.”

Since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, Iran has successfully used the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure point, closing the strategic waterway to traffic.

But under the terms of Wednesday’s ceasefire memorandum, the strait is supposed to reopen for an interim period of 60 days. During that time, Iran is barred from charging vessels for passage.

Advertisement

On Saturday, however, Iran’s joint military command said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing a “clear breach” of the memorandum’s commitments.

US Central Command (CENTCOM), the agency that oversees military operations in the region, denied that report and maintained that the traffic continues to flow through the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz has long been a flashpoint in the conflict between the US and Iran. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas is transported through the strait, as well as about 30 percent of the global fertiliser trade.

Closure of the strait has caused global fuel costs to soar and has tested agricultural sectors across the world.

Trump had responded to Iran’s chokehold over the strait by imposing a US naval blockade on Iran’s ports in the region.

Advertisement

But that naval blockade was lifted under the terms of Wednesday’s memorandum. The deal also paused fighting on all fronts in the regional conflict, including in Lebanon.

The memorandum, though, was not intended as a long-term deal. It serves as a launching point for negotiations on key issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.

Several points of divergence also went unaddressed in the memorandum. Nowhere does the memo say that future tolls cannot be collected from the strait after the 60-day period expires.

Before the war, there was no charge for passage through the strait. Trump himself said in an interview with The New York Times that the waterway should remain “permanently toll-free”.

But he appeared to reverse course in Saturday’s post, once again floating the possibility that the US could extract tolls in the strait, while barring Iran from doing so.

Advertisement

No fees should be levied, Trump wrote, “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed”.

He explained that such a charge would compensate the US “for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs”.

Trump used similar language in his New York Times interview earlier this week, floating the US becoming “the guardian of the Middle East” in exchange for 20 percent of its revenue.

Saturday’s post is not the first time Trump has mused about the US imposing tolls in the strait, either.

In April, for instance, he discussed the idea with reporters, saying, “What about us charging tolls? I’d rather do that than let them have them. Why shouldn’t we? We’re the winner. We won.”

Advertisement

 

There has been no indication that Trump’s plans have been officially presented to countries in the region, many of whom have struck a careful balance in their dealings with both the US and Iran during the war.

Iranian officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly said they will not rule out imposing tolls in the strait, framing the issue as a matter of sovereignty and regional negotiation. The strait sits between Iran and Oman.

Further discussions are expected on the matter in the coming weeks.

But such negotiations have been thrown into jeopardy amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which threaten to violate Wednesday’s ceasefire memorandum.

Advertisement

Iran claimed that Saturday’s closure of the strait was a result of new Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, which killed dozens of people after the ceasefire was announced.

Iranian officials have also said that any upcoming talks should focus on proper implementation of the initial memorandum, and that the 60-day negotiating period stipulated in Wednesday’s deal would begin after that was settled.

Pakistan, a top mediator between the US and Iran, has said that follow-up talks are set to begin in Switzerland on Sunday.

Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that an Iranian delegation, led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has already arrived for the negotiations.

On the US side, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President JD Vance are expected to attend.

Advertisement

Vance departed for Switzerland late Saturday.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending