DUBAI, Jan 12, 2026, 16:51 (GST)
- Trump says he plans to talk with Elon Musk about bringing internet back to Iran through Starlink
- Iran has shut down internet access for several days as protests escalate and information channels tighten
- Rights group HRANA puts the death toll at over 500; Iran has yet to release an official figure
U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to speak with Elon Musk about bringing internet back to Iran via SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network. “He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” Trump told reporters. 1
Since Thursday, Jan. 8, Iran has enforced a near-total internet blackout as protests over soaring prices escalated into demands for the clerical regime’s downfall. Tehran says it’s working with security forces to coordinate any restoration of service. Washington is considering its next steps but insists communication lines remain open through intermediaries. Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat and Iran specialist, commented, “I think it more likely that it puts these protests down eventually, but emerges from the process far weaker.” 2
HRANA, a U.S.-based human rights organization, reported verifying 490 protesters and 48 security forces deaths since the protests kicked off on Dec. 28. The group also said over 10,600 arrests have been made. Iran hasn’t published any official death toll, and Reuters has not independently confirmed these numbers. 3
Starlink has emerged as a crucial fallback for Iranians trying to send out footage — and it’s now in the crosshairs. Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based internet freedom activist, said an Iranian official’s estimate of “tens of thousands” of Starlink receivers in the country “sounded right.” He added, “In this case, because all those things have been disrupted, Starlink is playing the key for getting all these videos out.” Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at the Miaan Group, reported seeing packet losses — the units of data sent online — of about 30% from Starlink devices since Thursday, with some areas hitting 80%. “I believe the Iranian government is doing something beyond GPS jamming, like in Ukraine where Russia tried to jam Starlink,” he said. 4
Starlink operates via low-Earth-orbit satellites paired with user terminals on the ground. This reliance on hardware cuts both ways: there’s no fibre optic cable to sever, yet the signals remain open to disruption and the dishes themselves can be targeted.
The U.S. has faced the Iran issue before. Back in October 2022, Reuters reported that the White House was in discussions with Musk about deploying Starlink in Iran amid growing protests, following U.S. moves to relax export rules on certain satellite internet gear. 5
The broader satellite broadband sector has followed suit. Eutelsat, supported by the French and British governments and claiming to be the only other low-orbit constellation besides Starlink, announced on Monday an order for 340 satellites from Airbus to update and expand its OneWeb network. Deliveries are set to begin by the end of 2026. 6
Starlink’s involvement in Ukraine highlights how quickly access can become political. Reuters revealed last year that Musk directed a Starlink shutdown as Ukraine reclaimed land from Russia. That move sparked questions both inside and beyond government circles. 7
Still, if Trump pushes Musk to broaden coverage, the risks are clear: terminals are banned in Iran, distribution relies on smuggling and underground networks, and authorities can continue to disrupt service with jamming and GPS interference, making connections unreliable and hazardous for users.
Iran’s leadership has crushed past protest waves with force. This time, though, it’s tougher to gauge from afar — the blackout has shrunk visibility to scattered pieces, which now rely heavily on a satellite link.
