Iranian authorities are targeting Starlink users in a bid to stop leaks of protest footage amid the regime’s ongoing blockade of internet access, human rights groups say.
Iran cut off public internet access as protests against the regime intensified last week, leaving Starlink as one of the few ways Iranians can share footage of the regime’s deadly crackdown.
Starlink remains illegal in Iran, but rights groups say they have smuggled thousands of Starlink terminals into the country. The government’s efforts to cut off internet access have slowed the service’s connectivity, but users can still send images to trusted third parties who can then share them on social media, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Iranian MILITARY LEADER THREATENS PREEMPTIVE ATTACK AFTER TRUMP COMMENTS
Fires are lit as protesters gather in Tehran, Iran, on January 8, 2026. (Getty Images)
President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he planned to speak with SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk about boosting Starlink connectivity in Iran.
“He’s very good at that kind of thing, he has a very good business,” Trump told reporters.
SpaceX previously worked with former President Joe Biden’s administration to support Iran’s Starlink access in 2022, amid protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was hospitalized and later died after being detained by Iranian moral police for violating the dress code.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘STARTING TO CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
Elon Musk has previously worked to expand access to Starlink in Iran. (Chesnot/Getty Images)
The current Iranian protests arose for economic reasons, with Iranians outraged by high prices and demanding an end to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime.
Since the unrest broke out, Iranian authorities have killed at least 646 protesters, with thousands more deaths expected to be confirmed. Reuters reported the death toll at 2,000, citing an unnamed Iranian official.
The White House confirmed Monday that Trump was considering whether to bomb Iran in response to the crackdown.
President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Iran if the country continues to use lethal force against protesters. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president “has shown he is not afraid to use military options if and when he sees fit.”
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“He certainly doesn’t want people to be killed on the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately that is something we are seeing now,” she added.
