Iranian authorities have taken steps to disrupt access to Starlink satellite internet, according to users and digital-rights groups, in what appears to be the latest effort to tighten control over people’s access to the internet inside the country.
Starlink, operated by the U.S. company SpaceX, provides high-speed internet and has been used in Iran as an alternative during periods of state-imposed internet restrictions.
Although the service is not officially licensed in the country, terminals have been smuggled in and used by activists, journalists and businesses seeking uncensored access to the web.
Iranian officials have not publicly confirmed that they are targeting the satellite service. However, the government has long warned against the use of unauthorised communications equipment, describing it as a threat to national security.
Internet usage has been hampered in Iran by an internet blackout since Thursday (8 January).
Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX has previously supported providing Starlink access to Iranians during periods of unrest. The service was used during protests in 2022, when the Biden administration worked with Musk to enable satellite internet after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked nationwide demonstrations.
While on board Air Force one on Sunday (11 January), President Donald Trump said to the press, "We may get the Internet going, if that's possible. We may speak to Elon. Because as you know he's very good at that kind of thing. He's got a very good company.”
Meanwhile over the weekend, Musk’s platform X changed the Iranian flag emoji on the site from the one used since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 to the pre-revolution flag. This is the same flag demonstrators around the world have waved as a protest against the current regime.
President Trump also said the U.S. may meet Iranian officials and was in contact with the opposition, as he weighed a range of strong responses including military options to a violent crackdown on Iranian protests which pose one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a briefing to foreign ambassadors in Tehran via English translation on Monday that "We are ready for war but also for dialogue."
Trump has warned Iran's leaders that the United States would attack if security forces open fire on protesters.
Iran’s current protests began on 28 December in response to soaring prices, before turning against the clerical rulers.
More than 500 people have been killed since then, U.S.-based rights group HRANA has said, with more than 10,000 people arrested in two weeks of unrest. Iran has not given an official toll.
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The U.S. plans to seek the redirection of Iranian assets to Gulf states to help fund reconstruction and repairs for damage attributed to Iran, a source familiar with the matter said. The move comes as Tehran followed a wave of strikes against Kuwait and Bahrain with additional drone launches.
For about three decades after the Soviet collapse, Armenia anchored its foreign and security policy to Moscow.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S. visa approvals continues to cast a shadow over the country's tournament preparations.
At least a dozen people were wounded, two critically, on Saturday (6 June) in Toledo, Ohio, as two shooters traded gunfire, police said.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al‑Zaidi will pay an official visit to the United States, bringing with him a delegation of business leaders, private‑sector representatives and banking officials, in an effort to boost investment and deepen economic ties with Washington.
People across Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to access food, clean water, shelter and medical care as the conflict continues.
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