Iran’s intensifying crackdown on dissidents is emerging as one of the toughest security challenges yet for Starlink, the satellite broadband network owned by SpaceX. The service, which has become a vital workaround during state-imposed internet shutdowns, is now being stress-tested by Iranian authorities using jamming and signal-spoofing tactics, according to activists, analysts and researchers.
SpaceX made Starlink access free for users in Iran this week, placing billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk at the center of another geopolitical flashpoint. The move pits U.S.-based engineers against a regional power with sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities, at a time when Starlink’s resilience is being closely watched by U.S. military and intelligence agencies that rely on the system and its military-grade variant, Starshield.
Analysts say the outcome could also influence China, which is developing rival satellite internet constellations, and investors, as SpaceX weighs a potential public listing. “We’re in this strange early chapter of space-delivered communications where SpaceX is the only true provider at this scale,” said John Plumb, former Pentagon space policy chief under President Joe Biden. “Repressive regimes think they can still turn off communications, but that assumption is starting to break down.”
Victoria Samson, chief director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, said other powers are watching closely. She noted that Russia, which has deployed countermeasures against Starlink in Ukraine, may study how effective Iran’s interference proves to be.
PROTESTERS RELY ON STARLINK
As Iranian authorities restrict communications, Starlink has become critical for documenting events on the ground. Human rights groups say the blackout has made it difficult to assess the full scale of the crackdown, which has reportedly killed thousands of protesters in recent days.
Raha Bahreini, an Iran researcher at Amnesty International, said her team verified dozens of videos showing protesters killed or injured by Iranian forces and believes nearly all originated from people with Starlink access. At the same time, she said communications restrictions are hampering efforts to confirm the extent of abuses.
Starlink is banned in Iran, yet tens of thousands of terminals are believed to have been smuggled into the country. U.S. nonprofit Holistic Resilience, which has helped deliver terminals, said it is working with SpaceX to monitor what it describes as Iranian attempts to jam the network.
JAMMING AND SPOOFING TACTICS
Experts say Iran is likely using satellite jammers and GPS spoofing—broadcasting fake location signals—to disrupt Starlink terminals. Nariman Gharib, an Iranian opposition activist and cyber-espionage investigator based in Britain, said spoofing can severely degrade performance. “You might send text messages, but video calls become almost impossible,” he said after analyzing data from a terminal inside Iran.
Starlink’s architecture—roughly 10,000 low-Earth orbit satellites moving at about 27,000 kilometers per hour—makes it harder to locate and disrupt than traditional geostationary satellite systems. That design helped drive SpaceX’s estimated $15 billion in revenue in 2024 and expanded Musk’s geopolitical influence after Starlink became a critical tool for Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
IRAN STEPS UP COUNTERMEASURES
Iran has spent years trying to counter Starlink. After protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in late 2022, Musk said nearly 100 Starlink terminals were active in the country. Following a brief war with Israel in June, Iran’s parliament passed legislation formally banning Starlink use and imposing severe penalties on users and distributors.
Tehran has also pursued diplomatic pressure, urging the International Telecommunication Union to compel the United States and Norway—where Starlink is registered—to block the service. Iranian officials have told the ITU they struggle to locate and disable the terminals themselves.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said this week that internet access was cut after authorities confronted what he described as terrorist operations directed from outside the country.
As Iran escalates its technical and legal efforts, analysts say the confrontation represents a defining moment for Starlink. How well the network withstands sustained interference could reshape expectations about whether governments can still fully control access to information in the age of satellite internet.
