Iran found a way to disable Starlink – authorities reveal details

Iranian authorities announced that during the January anti-government protests, they managed to disable Starlink satellite internet terminals for the first time. The head of the National Center for Cyberspace, Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, reported the ability to affect the terminals without disclosing the technology. Starlink was seen as a way to bypass internet restrictions imposed by the authorities for several weeks.

Iranian authorities publicly stated for the first time that during the anti-government protests in January, they managed to disable Starlink satellite internet terminals. This was announced by the head of the National Center for Cyberspace, Mohammad Amin Aghamiri. The official did not disclose what technologies were used to counter satellite communications. During the protests, sparked by economic issues, authorities restricted internet access for several weeks, complicating the dissemination of information about the demonstrations. Starlink was seen by users as a way to bypass restrictions, but its use carried the risk of imprisonment. Iranian authorities reported over 3,000 deaths during the January unrest, linking them to "terrorist acts" by the US and Israel. Foreign NGOs claimed that security forces opened fire on protesters.