Iran declares Star Wars on Elon Musk's satellites after they defied internet ban

Iranians are tuning into billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink network to dodge their news-controlling rulers' internet ban. They shut it down so they can control access to information

Jerry Lawton Chief Reporter

19:12, 16 Mar 2026Updated 19:13, 16 Mar 2026

[Elon Musk's firm is helping people dodge the internet ban]

Elon Musk's firm is helping people dodge the internet ban(Image: Getty Images)

Iran has declared war on Elon Musk after his Starlink satellites helped folk dodge the ruling clerics' internet ban. Iranian leaders have shut down the internet so they can control people's access to information about the war.

But tech savvy Iranians are hooking up to Musk's uncensored satellites. Using Starlink in Iran now carries a two year jail sentence.

The ruling clerics henchmen have been searching for Starlink dishes to stop people connecting. Entrepreneurs have set up a lucrative black market business selling internet access. Iranian police arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly setting up a network to sell unfiltered' internet via Starlink.

[Starlink]

A train of Elon Musk's Starlink satellites in orbit(Image: Don Pettit/ISS / SWNS)

Police said he had set up a network across several provinces of the country to sell unfiltered internet adding a Starlink device and related equipment were discovered at his hideout. Irans internet blackout has lasted the length of the war, according to connectivity monitor Netblocks.

The company's chief researcher Isik Mater said the nature of the blackout shows 'this is a government-imposed measure' and not the result of damage from US and Israeli airstrikes.

Amnesty International Iran researcher Raha Bahreini said: "It is a deliberate shutdown imposed by the authorities to suppress the flow of information and prevent further dissent."

One lawyer in her 30s from Iran's capital Tehran said she had 'absolutely no access to information'. She said: "From every 10 people I know only one has access to the internet and thats being generous. This is driving people crazy."

[A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital Tehran]

A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital Tehran(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

"Can people in Europe or the US imagine not having internet for even one day? It's been 15 days for us."

The woman said accessing the internet required her to 'take a risk to my life' and visit a friend with 'multiple VPNs' that 'may work one day and not the next'. "The only people who can connect have Starlink," she added.

Since Musks SpaceX rockets launched the first batch of 60 operational Starlink satellites in 2019 over 9,300 more have been added to the constellation. The network provides high-speed internet access to over 8m subscribers across 150 countries.

Article continues below

During an interview with US TV on Sunday Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi was asked why he could speak via Zoom while his fellow countrymen are not allowed to access the internet. That's because I am the voice of all Iranians. I defend their rights, he said.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.

[Google Preferred Source Badge]

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.