Iran's authoritarian regime has escalated its efforts to conceal a violent crackdown on nationwide protests by launching a sophisticated attack on Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service, experts reveal. The move is part of a near-total internet blackout imposed to hide the scale of government repression from the outside world.
Desperate Measures to Control the Narrative
As protests ignited across Iran over the country's deepening economic crisis last week, authorities enacted a widespread internet shutdown on Thursday, 14 January 2026. This digital curtain is believed to be masking severe state violence, with human rights groups reporting that at least 646 protesters have been killed. In response, many Iranians turned to Starlink terminals, hoping to bypass the regime's control and connect to the global internet.
However, Tehran quickly targeted this last digital lifeline. According to Mahsa Alimardani, a specialist in digital repression at Witness, the regime began attacking Starlink connectivity almost immediately. "We believe the way that they have been trying to disable Starlink from very early on, on Thursday evening, was through GPS jamming," she stated. "By doing GPS jamming, it impacts the way the satellite receivers work."
The Limits of Satellite Resistance
Despite the jamming efforts, the tactic has not been entirely successful. Ms Alimardani confirms that most footage and information emerging from Iran since the blackout began has likely originated from the few remaining functional Starlink terminals. The service had seen significant growth since its 2022 introduction, with an estimated 50,000 to over 100,000 terminals now operating inside the country.
Nevertheless, experts caution that Starlink is not a panacea for a nation of 90 million people under a digital siege. "It's not a solution for 90 million people under a blackout," Ms Alimardani emphasised, noting the limited hardware on the ground makes scaling up in the short term impossible.
A Long-Term Solution and Regime Fears
Discussions have turned to more permanent technological solutions, such as direct-to-cell satellite technology. This system, which could be provided by SpaceX and other firms, uses satellites as cell towers in space, potentially bypassing Iran's state-controlled telecoms infrastructure entirely. To implement it, companies would need to purchase the specific radio frequency spectrum covering Iran, a costly endeavour requiring significant investment and political will.
"This direct-to-cell solution in the short term could possibly help Iranians, but it obviously couldn't scale to 90 million [people immediately]," Ms Alimardani explained. "It is really a long-term project that needs to be invested in." The Iranian regime is acutely aware of this threat; such technology would make future internet blackouts far more difficult to enforce, stripping away a critical tool for suppressing unrest.
A History of Digital Repression
The current blackout follows a well-established pattern. Iran's strategy of centralising internet control was accelerated after the 2009 election protests, when comprehensive jamming proved challenging. In the following years, the state, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), acquired majority stakes in telecommunications companies, ensuring all internet service providers operate under state licence.
"If they want to shut down the internet, they basically have to send the orders to the internet service providers, and they comply," Ms Alimardani noted. This control has been tested repeatedly, with the most severe nationwide shutdown occurring in 2019, allowing a week of brutal repression. The 2026 shutdown, she believes, stems from "a sense of desperation" and is a "last resort" for a regime fearing loss of control.
As foreign minister Abbas Araghchi offered vague promises of restoring internet access "in cooperation with security forces," the digital blackout continues. It serves as a stark reminder of how internet access has become a primary battlefield for control, information, and ultimately, human rights in modern authoritarian states.
