WASHINGTON, January 17, 2026, 10:28 (EST)
- This week, SpaceX waived Starlink fees for Iranians after authorities imposed communication restrictions
- Experts and activists report that Iran is deploying jammers and GPS spoofing techniques to interfere with terminals
- SpaceX’s potential public listing is drawing close attention from U.S. military users and investors alike
Iran’s effort to suppress dissent is emerging as a major security challenge for SpaceX’s Starlink, following the company’s move to offer free satellite internet access to Iranians this week, sources including activists, analysts, and researchers report. Starlink, which accounted for $15 billion of SpaceX’s revenue in 2024, now faces signal jamming and GPS spoofing attacks—manipulated location data that can disrupt the alignment of its terminals. 1
This moment is crucial because Starlink has evolved beyond a consumer gadget into vital infrastructure, especially in regions where governments sever cables, throttle mobile networks, or shut down the internet entirely. If Iran manages to consistently disrupt the service, the issue won’t remain confined to Iran alone.
U.S. military and intelligence agencies rely on Starlink along with its specialized military version, Starshield. In Iran, its performance is outpacing competitors like China, just as SpaceX contemplates going public.
“SpaceX stands alone as the only provider at this scale,” noted John Plumb, who once led space policy at the Pentagon. Victoria Samson from the Secure World Foundation added, “Many players are closely watching how Starlink performs in this context.” Nariman Gharib, an Iranian opposition activist and independent cyber-espionage expert in the UK, warned, “You might manage to send texts, but video calls are out of the question.” 2
As internet access was cut off, Starlink emerged as a crucial channel for videos and images of violence to get out of the country. An Amnesty International researcher noted that her team had verified dozens of these clips and believed nearly all were shared by individuals using Starlink.
Starlink operates via a constellation of satellites orbiting a few hundred kilometres above Earth, rather than relying on one large satellite positioned over a fixed point. Because these satellites move quickly, the network is less vulnerable to disruption compared to older setups. Still, the terminals require clear radio signals and precise navigation information to function properly.
A U.S. nonprofit involved in distributing Starlink equipment reports that tens of thousands of terminals might have been smuggled into Iran, though the exact number in active use remains unknown. The user gear consists of a flat dish roughly the size of a pizza box, alongside a more compact “mobile” model about the size of a laptop.
For years, Iran has worked to block Starlink, which lacks a license to operate within its borders, taking the matter to the United Nations telecom agency. SpaceX didn’t reply to requests for comment, while Iran’s U.N. mission also declined to answer questions.
Starlink’s advantage isn’t set in stone. Should jamming ramp up or officials track down terminals, users might lose service or even face sanctions. The connection could fall back to simple messaging, seriously limiting its usefulness in an extended outage.
Rivals are tracking both the demand trends and the interference strategies closely. On Friday, Eutelsat, owner of OneWeb, announced a multi-launch agreement with France’s MaiaSpace, set to begin in 2027, as Europe aims to close the gap with SpaceX in low Earth orbit. 3
Starlink’s push into aviation has pulled SpaceX into some heated exchanges. Elon Musk labeled Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary an “utter idiot” after O’Leary dismissed the idea of fitting Starlink on Ryanair planes, pointing to increased fuel costs caused by antenna drag. 4
SpaceX has grabbed headlines for more than just its satellite launches. Early Thursday, a Crew Dragon capsule safely splashed down off California carrying four astronauts after a medical problem shortened their International Space Station mission by weeks. This marks the first time NASA has ended a crew rotation early due to a health emergency. 5
Right now, the issue in Iran is straightforward and harsh: can Starlink maintain enough bandwidth for video and messaging as Tehran clamps down and experiments with new countermeasures? In the immediate future, whether the jammers fail, the terminals go offline, or people simply crack under pressure will influence how other governments approach their shutdown strategies.
