Washington's quiet bet on Elon Musk's satellites in Iran turns out to have been much bigger than previously disclosed. US officials say the Trump administration secretly moved about 6,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals into Iran after security forces there crushed mass protests in January, killing thousands and sharply limiting online access, reports the Wall Street Journal. The State Department had bought nearly 7,000 terminals—most in January—by shifting money away from other internet-freedom programs in Iran and toward hardware meant to keep anti-regime activists connected. Officials say President Trump knew about the deliveries, though it's unclear who formally signed off on the plan. The White House declined to comment.
Tehran bans Starlink and threatens users with years in prison. The Iranian government has long accused Washington of orchestrating unrest, though when it comes to Starlink, Musk himself is said to have recently nixed subscription fees for Iranians, per the Independent. The US denies directing the protests—which reportedly resulted in more than 7,000 deaths, per the Telegraph—but the secret Starlink effort shows a deeper level of backing for the opposition than previously acknowledged.
Trump publicly urged Iranians to stay in the streets last month and told them "help is on its way," leading some to expect US airstrikes that never came, even as US forces later gathered in the region amid tensions over Iran's nuclear program, per the Journal. The Starlink push sparked a split among US officials: Some, like the State Department's former Middle East chief, argued that satellites were essential once authorities pulled the plug on the internet, while others warned cutting funds for virtual private networks would expose more Iranians.
VPNs, they said, both mask users' locations and reach more people at a lower cost. Internal data show roughly 30 million Iranians used US-funded VPNs during 2022 protests, and about 20% of the nation stayed partially online with those tools during a near-total blackout in 2025. As money flowed to Starlink, funding for some VPN providers lapsed, and firms like Psiphon say they're now struggling. Meanwhile, Iranian security forces are hunting for satellite dishes on roofs, with analysts noting that tens of thousands of people seem to be continuing to risk prison terms to stay online.
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