The Trump administration secretly facilitated the delivery of around 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran following a crackdown on protests in January, according to reports. The move aimed to circumvent government-imposed internet shutdowns and provide Iranians with access to information.
- The U.S. Secretly smuggled around 6,000 Starlink terminals into Iran after the regime cracked down on protests in January, according to The Wall Street Journal.
- The Trump administration redirected funds to support Iranians in circumventing internet shutdowns.
- Owning a Starlink terminal can carry a sentence of several years in prison in Iran, yet thousands are still using them.
The United States secretly smuggled around 6,000 Starlink terminals into Iran following the regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrations in January, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The operation came in response to Iranian authorities killing thousands of protesters and cutting off internet access across the country in January. This development underscores the ongoing struggle for internet freedom in the region.
This marked the first time the U.S. Had directly sent Starlink terminals to Iran.
Also read: Trump issues Iran warning after Netanyahu meeting
President Trump was aware of the deliveries, but it is unclear whether he directly approved the plan, according to sources with the newspaper.
Purchased Around 7,000 Terminals
The State Department had purchased nearly 7,000 satellite-based internet kits in the months prior, most in January. The U.S. Has long funded internet freedom projects in Iran, including securing VPN access for Iranians. The Iranian regime has imposed strict restrictions on internet use within the country, frequently shutting down access during events perceived as threats to the government.
Also read: “This is the largest massacre of our time in Iran”
Senior officials in the Trump administration decided to redirect funds allocated for this purpose, instead purchasing Starlink terminals. The goal was to help pro-democracy activists bypass internet shutdowns.
