Mullahs throttle internet: First Starlink units available in Iran

The protests in Iran threaten the regime in Tehran.

Mullahs throttle internet: First Starlink units available in Iran

The protests in Iran threaten the regime in Tehran. To keep the unrest small, the mullahs throttle the Internet. The first receivers for the Starlink satellite internet are now reaching the country. Tech billionaire Musk sought approval from Washington.

According to media reports, the first receiving systems for the satellite Internet service Starlink have appeared in Iran. The online portal "Tejaratnews" reported that the devices, which are illegal in Iran, are being traded on the black market for the equivalent of almost 2,000 euros. The recipients cost many times the original price and are allegedly smuggled into the Islamic Republic via neighboring Iraq.

After the recent nationwide protests broke out, the authorities have also severely restricted the internet in the country. The trigger was the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The vice squad arrested her for allegedly not complying with the mandatory rules for wearing a headscarf. The woman died in police custody on September 16. Since her death, thousands have been demonstrating across the country against the government's repressive course and the Islamic system of rule.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk announced a few weeks ago that he would apply for a special permit in the USA in order to be able to offer the Starlink satellite network in Iran despite US sanctions. The system establishes fast Internet connections directly via its own satellites. It is being built by Musk's space company SpaceX. Communication via Starlink also plays an important role in Ukraine's defense of the country against Russian invasion. Musk recently threatened to stop offering the service to Kyiv for free and got a reprimand from the White House for it.

Iran, meanwhile, accused its rival Saudi Arabia of supporting the nationwide protests. "I warn the Saudi regime to behave cautiously," Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander Hussein Salami said, according to the Tasnim news agency. "Your media are interfering in our internal affairs," said the officer. "This is our ultimatum," Salami threatened.

The London-based broadcaster Iran International, which Tehran accuses of being supported by Saudi Arabia, is likely to be meant. The Guardian newspaper reported in 2018 that Iran International is funded by an offshore entity and company whose director is a Saudi businessman with close ties to Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman. The media outlet dismissed the report, citing its independent and impartial journalism.

The EU imposed sanctions on the Iranian moral police and more than a dozen other people and organizations for the violence against the demonstrators in the morning. The Basij militias, the so-called law enforcement forces and the cyber defense command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are also affected.