Iranian Military to Target Elon Musk's Starlink Infrastructure in the Middle East
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TEHERAN — Tensions between Iran and the US-Israel alliance have now extended to outer space and digital infrastructure. Iranian state media reports that the satellite internet infrastructure of Starlink, owned by US billionaire Elon Musk, is now on the list of “legitimate targets” for the military of the Islamic Republic in the West Asia region.
The state news agency Fars, quoted by Al Jazeera, released an infographic detailing the presence of Starlink in neighbouring countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Tehran views the presence of these satellite terminals not merely as communication tools, but as instruments of intelligence and information infiltration that threaten national stability amid the ongoing war.
Cleanup Operation
This policy from Tehran is followed by a large-scale law enforcement operation domestically. Iran’s Police Chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, as quoted by the ISNA news agency, confirmed the arrest of 46 individuals suspected of involvement in a network selling SpaceX terminals illegally. A total of 139 Starlink devices were seized in the operation.
Cited from Bloomberg, the Iranian Government has stipulated that using Starlink without permission constitutes a serious violation punishable by up to two years in prison. Nevertheless, reports from digital rights activists indicate that around 50,000 terminals are estimated to still be operating covertly in the country with a population of 90 million.
This hardline approach against Starlink users demonstrates the regime’s priority in controlling public information flows. This is crucial given that US and Israeli airstrikes over the past month have crippled much of the communication infrastructure and killed several senior Iranian leaders.
“Iranian authorities have issued numerous directives to hunt down Starlink terminals,” said Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director of the digital rights group Holistic Resilience.
Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence recently also claimed to have arrested dozens of people accused of being American and Israeli spies. In the operation, officers seized seven Starlink devices along with several firearms and ammunition.