A covert network is sneaking Starlink internet terminals into war-hit Iran, according to a BBC investigation, offering a digital lifeline in a country under tight online control.
The satellite service, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, operates in more than 120 countries but is banned in Iran. The shutdown, which began after US and Israeli strikes on February 28, has been accompanied by a widening crackdown on VPNs and satellite terminals, says internet monitor NetBlocks.
NetBlocks has previously assessed the disruption as one of the most severe internet restrictions globally, with connectivity at times reduced to near-total isolation for most users, while only a small number of state-approved or specially issued connections remain active. The monitor says the broader pattern reflects a sustained effort by authorities to restrict access to international networks while maintaining a tightly controlled domestic intranet.
Starlink's compact, flat terminals – paired with routers – connect directly to satellites, allowing users to bypass the state’s heavily restricted internet. The report describes a “very complex operation” in which buyers move devices across borders through clandestine channels.
One member of the smuggling network, identified as Sahand, told the BBC he had sent a dozen terminals into Iran since January. “If even one extra person is able to access the internet, I think it's successful," he was quoted as saying. The effort was funded by Iranians abroad and aimed at helping people share information from inside the country, he added.
Iranian authorities have also escalated enforcement against the technology. State-affiliated reporting, including from Fars news agency, has described the seizure of hundreds of Starlink devices across multiple provinces, framing them as illegally imported equipment linked to foreign adversaries.
Officials have warned that possession or distribution can carry heavy penalties under national security and wartime provisions, reflecting how satellite internet access has been formally incorporated into Iran’s broader crackdown on perceived external influence and internal dissent.
Earlier reports in January said the US had facilitated the smuggling of thousands of Starlink units to help protesters stay online during shutdowns.
Human rights groups say such access has enabled footage of arrests and alleged abuses to emerge despite restrictions, including during a crackdown in which more than 6,500 protesters were reportedly killed and tens of thousands detained.
One of them, the Witness organisation, estimated at least 50,000 terminals were already in Iran at the start of the year, with activists saying the figure has likely climbed since. Despite the legal risks and arrests, a black market for the devices continues to expand.
