As nationwide protests intensify in Iran, the government has once again shut down conventional internet services to curb the flow of information. Despite these restrictions, many protesters had been using Starlink—the satellite-based internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX—to communicate with the outside world. Iranian authorities have now moved to disrupt that service as well, employing what is widely described as a “kill switch” strategy.
Protests erupted across Iran about two weeks ago in response to soaring inflation and deepening economic hardship. The unrest has since escalated into violent clashes, with more than 500 protests reported across all 31 provinces. At least 648 people have reportedly been killed during the unrest.
When demonstrations intensify, Tehran typically cuts off internet access entirely. This method, often referred to as a “kill switch,” is used by various governments during crises to restrict communication and control the spread of information. In Iran, landline-based internet connections supplied to computers and mobile phone towers were shut down for more than three consecutive days.
Following the shutdown of terrestrial networks, Iranian authorities took a further step by attempting to block access to Starlink’s satellite internet service, which had been bypassing the country’s tightly controlled digital infrastructure.
How Iran Is Jamming Starlink Services
Starlink had emerged as a critical alternative for internet access, operating beyond Iran’s centralized control mechanisms. However, experts say the service can be disrupted relatively easily through interference with GPS (Global Positioning System) signals.
Starlink ground terminals must continuously share their location with the satellite network so that the system can connect users to the nearest ground station. By interfering with GPS signals, authorities can disrupt this process and degrade service quality.
Brian Clark, an electronic warfare expert at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, told AFP that while it is also possible to block direct transmissions between satellites and ground terminals, doing so would require a large number of jamming devices. He added that commercially available jamming equipment—originally designed to target mobile phone signals—can be adapted to interfere with Starlink systems if sufficient technical expertise is available.
Starlink’s constellation of telecommunications satellites orbits the Earth at an altitude of about 550 kilometers in low Earth orbit (LEO). Similar to how mobile phones switch between cell towers as users move, Starlink terminals must continuously hand off connections from one satellite to another as satellites pass overhead.
This design requires both satellites and terminals to use antennas capable of receiving signals from wide angles. As a result, the system becomes more vulnerable to jamming from nearby ground-based sources.
However, the need to position jamming equipment close to ground receivers has limited Russia’s effectiveness in Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces continue to rely on Starlink despite sustained electronic interference.
Against the backdrop of close cooperation between Tehran and Moscow—particularly Iran’s alleged supply of missiles and drones during the Ukraine conflict—AFP, citing unnamed sources, reports that Iran may have received jamming equipment and, more importantly, technical expertise from Russia.
Meanwhile, the legal status of Starlink terminals in Iran remains unclear, existing in what observers describe as a regulatory “grey zone.” Iran has lodged complaints with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), objecting to the provision of Starlink satellite internet services within its territory.
