Iranian authorities are targeting users of Starlink in an effort to choke off the flow of protest footage leaking out of the country, according to human rights groups and media reports.

The Iranian government cut off broad public internet access last week as anti-regime demonstrations intensified, leaving protesters with few options to document and share images of the security forces’ crackdown. Rights organizations say thousands of Starlink terminals — which are illegal in Iran — have been smuggled into the country, allowing limited but critical connectivity despite government interference.

Iran’s attempts to disrupt the service have degraded performance, but have not fully shut it down. Starlink users are still managing to transmit video and photos to trusted intermediaries outside Iran, who then upload the material to social media platforms.

The effort to suppress satellite-based communication highlights the regime’s growing alarm over the visibility of the unrest, which erupted over economic grievances and has evolved into broader demands for the end of Ali Khamenei’s rule.

The White House is now weighing how far to go in response. Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he plans to speak with Elon Musk about expanding Starlink connectivity in Iran.
“He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” Trump told reporters.

SpaceX previously coordinated with the Biden administration in 2022 to enable Starlink access in Iran during protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died after being detained by Iran’s morality police over an alleged dress-code violation.

The current wave of unrest has been deadlier. Human rights groups estimate that at least 646 protesters have been killed so far, with thousands more deaths feared but not yet independently verified. Reuters reported a death toll as high as 2,000, citing an unnamed Iranian official.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)