Jan 15, 2026 13:10:00What is the current situation in Iran, where smuggled Starlink equipment is being used to compete with government communications regulations? The most important of these is Starlink, which connects people to the internet via thousands of satellites in low-earth orbit.Starlink devices began being smuggled into Iran in 2022 amidagainst Iran's mandatory headscarf law. This was after Elon Musk, CEO of Starlink's provider, SpaceX, lobbied the Biden administration to exempt Starlink from Iranian sanctions. President Donald Trump is also enthusiastic about Starlink's aggressive expansion, saying, 'I want to make Starlink available in Iran.to Elon. The Financial Times, a business newspaper, points out that the Iranian government's recent communications blackout is 'the implementation of a long-standing plan.'

Source: Mint January 15, 2026 05:00 UTC