US Provides Starlink to Thousands During Government Crackdown

The United States smuggled approximately 6,000 Starlink terminals into Iran in January to provide internet access amid a government-imposed blackout during anti-regime protests. These terminals, from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, aim to help activists circumvent restrictions, with the US State Department funding the initiative using redirected resources. Despite the illegal status of Starlink in Iran, tens of thousands of users rely on it to communicate and share information. Iranian authorities have actively confiscated these devices, classifying them as “anti-security goods.”

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