US Transported 6,000 Starlink Terminals Into Iran Since January -WSJ

According to Jerusalem Post, the United States has secretly facilitated the shipment of approximately 6,000 Starlink satellite terminals into Iran since January as part of an ongoing operation to bypass Tehran’s strict internet censorship, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter, the report reveals a significant escalation in American efforts to empower Iranian citizens with uncensored internet access amid widespread protests and government-imposed blackouts. The terminals, manufactured by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, enable users to connect directly to Starlink’s satellite network, bypassing Iran’s state-controlled infrastructure.

The operation involves transporting the compact devices via neighboring countries, with Washington coordinating logistics while avoiding direct government purchase of the equipment to maintain plausible deniability. Once inside Iran, the terminals are distributed through informal networks to activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens.

“We are supporting the ability of Iranians to access the open internet and share information freely, despite the regime’s efforts to cut them off from the world, a senior U.S. official told the Journal.

SpaceX activated Starlink service over Iran in September 2022 following a U.S. Treasury license exemption, but the physical hardware remained difficult to obtain, the reported shipments roughly 1,000 units per month appear designed to close that gap.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tehran has previously condemned Starlink’s presence as a tool of foreign interference.

The operation underscores a growing reliance on private-sector technology to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives in contested digital spaces. Starlink has played an increasingly prominent role in global communications crises, from Ukraine to Gaza.

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