As mass protests continue to sweep across Iran, the government’s sweeping shutdown of internet and mobile services has pushed many demonstrators to rely on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network to communicate with the outside world. With conventional digital channels largely severed, the satellite-based system has emerged as one of the few remaining ways for Iranians to share videos of protests and security force crackdowns beyond the country’s borders.
Iranian authorities, however, have stepped up efforts to disrupt Starlink operations, which are illegal in the country. Digital rights groups say the government’s attempts to block the service and track down users signal a new phase in its strategy to control information during a period of growing unrest.
Security Forces Target Satellite Equipment in Tehran
According to Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at the U.S.-based nonprofit Miaan Group, Iranian security forces began actively searching for and confiscating Starlink satellite dishes in parts of western Tehran over the weekend. The effort marks one of the most visible attempts yet to physically dismantle access to the service.
Rashidi said the disruptions appear to be most severe in neighborhoods where protests are taking place, particularly during evening hours when demonstrators typically gather. He described the government’s actions as a form of electronic conflict, combining signal interference with on-the-ground raids to limit connectivity without fully disabling the network nationwide.
Despite these measures, Starlink connections have continued to function intermittently, allowing some users brief windows to upload footage before access is interrupted again.
Protests Grow as Information Becomes Scarce
The intensifying struggle over internet access comes as demonstrations continue nightly across dozens of Iranian cities. The unrest has been driven by a deepening economic crisis marked by high inflation, unemployment, and frustration with long-standing political repression. Protesters have openly called for an end to the ruling system, prompting a forceful response from authorities.
With most internet services cut off, video footage shared via satellite connections has become one of the only ways to document what is happening on the ground. Human Rights Activists in Iran has reported that the number of people killed during the unrest has exceeded 2,000. Separately, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has circulated footage showing what appears to be a large number of bodies at a morgue in south Tehran.
Rights groups say that without satellite access, such images and reports would struggle to reach international audiences, making independent verification of events far more difficult.
International Attention and U.S. Response
The information blackout has drawn increasing attention from the United States. President Donald Trump has publicly warned that Washington could respond to the Iranian government’s crackdown, particularly if violence against protesters continues.
Trump was expected to be briefed on potential policy options, including expanding satellite internet access within Iran. One proposal under consideration involves sending additional Starlink terminals into the country. Trump indicated that he intended to discuss the feasibility of such an expansion with Elon Musk.
While U.S. officials have not disclosed specific plans, restoring access to communication and information has been described as a priority amid the ongoing unrest.
A Near-Total Digital Shutdown
Iran imposed one of its most extensive internet blackouts in recent years late last week, cutting off connectivity for much of the country’s estimated 90 million people. The shutdown followed days of escalating protests that rapidly evolved into nationwide demonstrations.
In addition to restricting internet access, authorities have severely disrupted phone calls and text messaging. According to diplomats and individuals in contact with people inside Iran, uninterrupted access has been largely reserved for government institutions, state-affiliated media, and regime loyalists whose internet addresses are included on an official whitelist.
Messages sent to residents have encouraged reliance on state-linked news outlets, including Mehr News Agency, which has ties to Iran’s security services. Other messages have called on citizens to attend pro-government demonstrations, including events organized at the University of Tehran, an area that has also been a focal point of recent protests.
Starlink as a Lifeline for Protesters
For many Iranians outside official networks, satellite internet has become the only viable means of communication with the outside world. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, co-founder of the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights, said his organization has received protest footage from cities such as Mashhad through Starlink connections.
Individuals using the service inside Iran take significant precautions. A Tehran resident who communicated with foreign media through Starlink said users avoid drawing attention to themselves and only share material with trusted contacts abroad. Even then, connections are often unstable, forcing users to transmit as much data as possible during brief periods of reliable access.
Efforts to Disrupt, Not Eliminate, the Service
Experts say Iran has so far been unable to completely shut down Starlink. Mehdi Yahyanejad, co-founder and board director of NetFreedom Pioneers, a U.S.-based organization that supports internet access in authoritarian countries, said government interference has slowed connections but failed to fully stop them.
When users manage to establish stable connections, they prioritize sending large volumes of video and images before disruptions resume, he explained.
Smuggled Technology and International Pressure
Starlink terminals are illegal in Iran and must be smuggled into the country, often via small boats from Dubai or overland routes through Iraqi Kurdistan. The devices began appearing in greater numbers during the final stages of the major protest wave in 2022, after SpaceX announced it would seek sanctions exemptions.
NetFreedom Pioneers has helped distribute hundreds of terminals through nonprofit channels, while others have entered Iran through commercial intermediaries. Tehran has repeatedly appealed to the United States through the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency, to block Starlink within Iranian territory. While U.S. authorities and SpaceX have resisted a blanket ban, some terminals identified by Iran have reportedly been disabled.
