State Department Ran Covert Ops To Smuggle Starlink Internet To Iran Protesters

The Trump administration smuggled thousands of Starlink internet terminals into Iran following the Islamic regime’s deadly crackdown on protesters in January, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.

After Iranian security forces killed thousands of protesters and shut off large swaths of the internet, the U.S. reportedly smuggled about 6,000 of Elon Musk’s satellite-internet kits into the country, the outlet reported Thursday. This marked the first known direct delivery of Starlink systems to Iran.

Washington and Tehran remain engaged in high-stakes negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. The U.S. seeks to eliminate any path for Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, while Iran insists enrichment is necessary for civilian purposes. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that failed negotiations could trigger a military strike using a carrier strike group and air assets already in the region.

Officials told the outlet that the State Department had purchased nearly 7,000 Starlink terminals in the months leading up to the crackdown. The purchases were intended to help anti-regime activists bypass Tehran’s strict internet controls.

Senior Trump administration officials decided to redirect funds from other internet-freedom programs in Iran to finance the Starlink shipments, according to the outlet.