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  "path": "/partner/grok-ai-strikes-against-iran",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-17T05:57:57.000Z",
  "site": "https://nukta.com",
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nElon Musk's artificial intelligence tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran, the US government revealed in a legal brief seen by AFP on Tuesday.\n\nThe June 15 filing defends gas turbines at an xAI data center facing an environmental lawsuit.\n\n### Did the US use AI to strike Iran?\n\nYes. A US Department of Justice legal brief confirmed that Grok, the AI tool developed by Elon Musk's company xAI, was used within Project Maven, the Pentagon's AI-assisted targeting program.\n\nThe disclosure came through sworn testimony from a Pentagon AI official as part of an unrelated environmental lawsuit against xAI.\n\n### What was Grok used for in Project Maven?\n\nThe Department of Justice brief argued that the lawsuit against xAI's data center \"threatens American national, economic, and energy security\" by potentially cutting power to AI tools supporting Department of War operations.\n\nTo back this claim, prosecutors submitted testimony from Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley, who stated under oath that Grok is already deployed within Project Maven.\n\nStanley's statement said the program's Maven Smart Systems enabled US forces to deploy more than 2,000 munitions against 2,000 distinct targets within 96 hours during an operation he referred to as Epic Fury.\n\nHe credited what he called the Grok Gov Model with a significant boost in operational efficiency.\n\n### Why is xAI facing a lawsuit?\n\nThe NAACP, a civil rights organization representing Black Americans, is suing xAI over claims it operated dozens of gas turbines without permits, in violation of the Clean Air Act.\n\nThe group says the turbines pollute majority Black neighborhoods near the data center. xAI maintains the turbines are temporary and mobile, and therefore exempt from the relevant regulations.\n\n### Why did the Pentagon turn to xAI instead of Anthropic?\n\nIn late February, the US government ended its contracts with Anthropic after the company declined to let its tools be used for fully autonomous strikes or mass surveillance of Americans. The Pentagon then approached competitors including Google, OpenAI, and xAI to keep its AI programs moving forward.\n\nAt Google, more than 600 employees objected to the company supplying AI for classified military operations, while broader concerns about AI's risks have also surfaced elsewhere in the industry. The military's shift toward newer AI tools has been gradual: in March, the government acknowledged that Claude was still being used in connection with the Iran war.\n\nMusk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, merged xAI into his space company SpaceX in February. SpaceX completed the largest IPO in history on June 12.",
  "title": "Elon Musk's AI tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran: US govt"
}