France is considering the possibility of supplying Eutelsat satellite terminals to Iran to help citizens regain internet access after Iranian authorities imposed widespread online blackouts in an attempt to suppress the most severe domestic unrest the country has seen in decades.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Wednesday that Paris was examining a range of options, including the deployment of Eutelsat equipment, after a member of parliament asked whether France planned to send satellite terminals to Iran.
“We are exploring all possibilities, and the option you mentioned is among them,” Barrot told the lower house.
Eutelsat, which is backed by the French and British governments, owns OneWeb, the only low-Earth-orbit satellite network operating alongside Elon Musk’s Starlink.
These satellite constellations provide internet connectivity from space, offering broadband access to governments, businesses and individuals in areas with limited or disrupted infrastructure.
Iranian authorities have in recent days carried out a violent crackdown on protests against clerical rule, with reports from Rights groups suggesting that thousands of people have been killed.
At the same time, the government has enforced an almost total shutdown of internet services across the country.
Despite the restrictions, some Iranians have managed to access the internet through Starlink’s satellite service, according to three sources inside the country.
However, Alp Toker, founder of the internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks, said earlier this week that Starlink connectivity in Iran also appears to have been partially reduced.
Eutelsat declined to comment when contacted by Reuters about Barrot’s remarks or its operations related to Iran.
Starlink operates more than 9,000 satellites, enabling faster speeds than Eutelsat’s fleet of just over 600. Its user terminals are also cheaper and easier to install.
Starlink has played a crucial role in providing internet access to Ukraine’s military, helping to maintain communications on the battlefield during the war with Russia.
According to independent satellite communications consultant Carlos Placido, OneWeb terminals are larger and more vulnerable to interference.
He noted that Starlink’s vast satellite network makes jamming significantly more difficult, though not impossible. “With OneWeb, it is much easier to predict when a satellite will pass over a specific location,” Placido said, making disruption simpler by comparison.
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Iran and Israel said on Monday (8 June) they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump, as Axios reported that Trump had privately told Benjamin Netanyahu “be careful, or you will be on your own very soon”.
The United States has added some of China's biggest technology and automotive companies, including Alibaba, Baidu, BYD and Nio, to a Pentagon list of firms it believes are linked to Beijing's military.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's latest Ebola outbreak has claimed more than 100 lives, with health authorities warning that armed conflict and attacks on aid workers are hindering efforts to contain the disease.
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been denied entry to the United States, preventing him from taking part in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and ending what would have been a historic moment for Somali football.
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Iran and Israel have halted strikes on each other, but Tehran has warned it will recommence attacks if Israel continues military action in Lebanon. U.S. President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun have meanwhile made pleas for peace.
The United States has added some of China's biggest technology and automotive companies, including Alibaba, Baidu, BYD and Nio, to a Pentagon list of firms it believes are linked to Beijing's military.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's latest Ebola outbreak has claimed more than 100 lives, with health authorities warning that armed conflict and attacks on aid workers are hindering efforts to contain the disease.
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been denied entry to the United States, preventing him from taking part in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and ending what would have been a historic moment for Somali football.
The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been suspended pending a vote by member states on whether he should be removed from office, following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
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