US Administration sent 6K Starlink terminals to Iran during protests
Shafaq News- Tehran
US President Donald Trump’s administration secretly transferred 6,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals to Iran during protests that swept the country last month, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Thursday.
Despite denying incitement or support for the demonstrations against the Iranian government, US officials reportedly confirmed that the administration had sent the devices to maintain communication with “opposition activists” after Iranian authorities restricted internet access, adding that the administration redirected funds from internet freedom initiatives to finance the purchase. The officials indicated that Trump was aware of the delivery operation but were uncertain whether he directly approved the plan.
Some protesters had expected Washington to provide military support, including “airstrikes on government and military targets,” though no such action occurred, while Iranian authorities reportedly disrupted Starlink service using advanced military-grade equipment, the newspaper added.
Since the protests erupted in Iran on December 28, tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated despite ongoing indirect negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. The strain has coincided with Pentagon preparations for a possible second aircraft carrier deployment to the Middle East, as Trump pressed for broader concessions beyond the nuclear file, demands that Iranian officials have rejected.
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