Shocking Showdown: How Iran Is Trying to Snuff Out Elon Musk’s Starlink—and Why Tens of Thousands of Dishes Keep Beaming Freedom Back
On 23 June 2025, Iran’s Ministry of Communications warned that owning or installing a Starlink terminal is a punishable offense and asked the ITU to compel SpaceX to deactivate unauthorized devices inside Iran. Following Israel’s Operation Rising Lion on 13 June, Iran’s internet blackout peaked with connectivity falling by 97 percent. In 2021 Iran filed its first Starlink complaint at the ITU, launching the dispute over SpaceX’s operation. In October 2023 the ITU Radio Regulations Board ruled in Iran’s favor and ordered Starlink to obey Iranian licensing laws. In March 2024 the ITU RRB reiterated the demand after objections from