Former prime minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday night that Israel secretly smuggled Starlink satellite internet systems into Iran to help anti-regime protesters communicate and organize during government-imposed internet censorship. He made the remarks at a JNS conference in Jerusalem, and said the operation began in 2022, while he was serving as prime minister.
According to Bennett, Israel initiated a process to obtain and smuggle Starlink receivers, linked to Elon Musk, into Iran so users could maintain access to the internet and social media even as the authorities tried to cut communications. He said the devices were meant to help protesters coordinate demonstrations and eventually challenge the Iranian government.
Bennett sharply criticized Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, saying the operation was later halted and that the infrastructure was unavailable when a major wave of protests broke out. Starlink is run by SpaceX and provides satellite internet connectivity.
Iran has long accused Israel and the United States of smuggling Starlink equipment into the country to bypass state restrictions on internet access. Iranian authorities have repeatedly shut off public internet access during periods of unrest, including deadly nationwide protests in January and during the U.S.-Israel war with Iran that began in late February.
