Iran calls Musk’s Starlink a ‘tool of war’, vows tighter crackdown amid US-Israel conflict

Iranian authorities have vowed to step up efforts to block Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service and impose further restrictions on global internet access as the war with the United States and Israel continues.Starlink, which allows users to bypass the extensive internet filtering imposed by Tehran, is banned in Iran on national security grounds. Possessing or using the satellite internet service can lead to imprisonment and fines, while importing and distributing its terminals carry harsher penalties.Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Cyberspace Council, has described Starlink as a “tool of war” used by Tehran’s adversaries for military coordination, espionage and intelligence gathering. He said authorities had developed several systems to disable Starlink terminals but did not disclose details of the technology.Iran Uses Jammers, GPS Spoofing To Disrupt StarlinkAn internet and telecommunications expert based in Tehran, speaking to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, said Iranian authorities employ several methods to interfere with Starlink connections. These include jammers operating in different configurations, spoofed GPS signals that complicate the activation of new devices, and the identification of Starlink-related internet protocols when they connect to local services.Authorities have also stepped up efforts to seize the equipment through patrols, drone searches and raids on locations suspected of selling satellite terminals.Iran has pursued the issue internationally as well. Since 2023, it has approached the International Telecommunication Union’s Radio Regulations Board, seeking action against Starlink transmissions. On October 4, Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Norway’s ambassador to protest what it described as the failure to address unauthorised Starlink operations.Tehran warns Starlink could undermine internet controlsIranian officials have warned that satellite internet could weaken the government’s ability to control online communications because it does not depend on the country’s domestic telecommunications infrastructure.Deputy Technology Minister Mohammad Hafez Hakami warned at a governance meeting in late September that widespread Starlink use could deal a major blow to Iran’s cyberspace controls. He suggested that if the trend continued, authorities might eventually have to consider cutting electricity during a future crisis to prevent access through satellite-based services.Iranian authorities have defended internet disruptions as necessary to protect national infrastructure and prevent cyberattacks. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday that officials sometimes had to reduce internet speeds because of the importance of the country’s databases and online services.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.