As nationwide protests continue to rock Iran, new allegations point to the use of sophisticated military-grade technology, possibly with assistance from Russia or China, to shut down Starlink, the satellite internet service run by Elon Musk. Since the June war, Tehran has rapidly strengthened ties with Moscow and Beijing to survive sanctions and deter future attacks. While both powers remain cautious about deep economic investments in Iran, analysts say security cooperation may be a different matter. 

On the 12th day of protests, the government led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei imposed a near-total internet blackout. Iran’s population of nearly 80 million was abruptly cut off from the digital world as mobile data, broadband, and even domestic networks were severed. With traditional communication channels down, protesters turned to a last-resort option, Starlink, to send images and videos of demonstrations beyond Iran’s borders.

Starlink Becomes Target

That digital lifeline, however, was soon disrupted. According to IranWire, roughly 30 per cent of Starlink’s uplink and downlink traffic was initially affected. By around 10 PM local time, the disruption had escalated to over 80 per cent. Internet researcher Amir Rashidi said military-grade jamming signals targeting Starlink satellites were detected as protests intensified.

“This level of interference is unprecedented,” Rashidi said, noting that in his two decades of research he had never witnessed such advanced jamming. He added that the equipment required is extremely costly and sophisticated, raising doubts about whether Iran developed it entirely on its own.

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Russia And China Under Suspicion

According to a report by India Today, experts believe Tehran activated a so-called “kill switch” using advanced satellite jammers. If the technology was not domestically produced, Rashidi and other analysts suggest it was likely supplied by Russia or China, both of which have experience in electronic warfare and satellite disruption.

Because the jammers are reportedly deployed across multiple locations, Starlink performance now varies widely by region, with some areas retaining limited access while others are almost completely offline.

Trump, Musk And Internet Question

The blackout coincided with US President Donald Trump saying he planned to speak with Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran. “We may get the internet going if that’s possible,” Trump said, again warning the Khamenei regime of potential US “actions.” 

Estimates suggest around 40,000–50,000 Starlink units are currently active inside Iran. Even during the 12-day shutdown in the summer of 2025 amid the Iran-Israel war, some users managed to stay connected.

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