Iran uses military jamming to block Starlink internet amid protests
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After discussions about connecting Iranian protesters to the Starlink internet network following Tehran’s web blackout, reports indicate the Iranian regime has crossed a new red line in recent days. For the first time, it has employed military jamming to disrupt access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service, according to the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
Starlink, which provides internet via satellites in low Earth orbit, has long been considered a digital lifeline for activists and civilians in countries like Iran or conflict zones such as Ukraine, where regimes or conflicts can shut down national internet networks with the push of a button.
Near-total outage
According to the Iran Wire website, despite estimates that tens of thousands of Starlink devices have been smuggled into Iran and operated illegally, the recent outage has affected most of them.
Initial reports suggested a 30 percent drop in connections, but within hours the rate exceeded 80 percent.
The extent of Starlink usage in Iran is reportedly far greater than previously thought, despite the fact that Tehran has never authorized the service, making its possession and use illegal under Iranian law.