Overview
- SpaceX waived fees for users in Iran this week, expanding access during state-imposed internet restrictions.
- Researchers and activists report Iranian satellite jammers and GPS spoofing are degrading Starlink connections, often reducing functionality to text.
- Amnesty International says it has verified dozens of protest videos believed to have been sent via Starlink, enabling documentation of alleged abuses.
- Although Starlink is illegal in Iran, tens of thousands of terminals may have been smuggled into the country, with the number actively connected unknown.
- U.S. military and intelligence agencies, China and investors are closely watching SpaceX’s response, as Iran pursues legal penalties and presses the ITU to block the service and Starlink generated about $15 billion in 2024.