Iran says it disabled Starlink terminals during protests — Anadolu Agency

Iran said it successfully disabled Starlink satellite internet terminals during nationwide protests in January. This was reported by the head of Iran’s National Cyberspace Center, Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, Anadolu Agency reports.

Statement by an Iranian official

According to Aghamiri, this was Iran’s first successful operation to disable Starlink terminals. He claims that the operation was completely successful and is one of the tools Tehran has to counter the satellite internet service.

The official described the January protests as a “coup” — the term used by Iranian authorities. He also claimed that Western media had allegedly reported the successful conduct of the operation against the terminals.

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Disruptions during the protests

Anti-government protests in Iran intensified on January 8 and 9 amid clashes between demonstrators and security forces. On January 8, Iranian authorities imposed a nationwide internet shutdown.

Starlink remained one of the few ways to access the internet during the blackout, although reports at the time indicated significant interference and disruptions to the service. Aghamiri claims that these disruptions were the result of Iran’s operation against the terminals.

His statement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the UN General Assembly in New York on September 24. Netanyahu displayed a Starlink terminal and said that the device gives Iranians access to information, accusing Tehran of spending heavily on internet censorship.