Iran crippled Starlink and why the rest of the world should worry

msn/Rest of World ^ | 1/13/2026 | Indranil Ghosh

[SaxxonWoods]

Iran is systematically crippling Starlink, the satellite internet service said to be almost impossible to jam.

Military-grade GPS jammers deployed since January 8 have cut satellite internet performance by as much as 80% in parts of the country, according toAmir Rashidi, director of digital rights at the Miaan Group, a U.S.-based nonprofit focused on Iranian internet censorship and digital rights.

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TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Iran; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: amirrashidi; elonmusk; indranilghosh; jamming; miaangroup; putin; russia; starlink

[SaxxonWoods]

The nationwide internet shutdown, which started on January 8, has disconnected 85 million Iranians from the outside world. Cloudflare, a major internet infrastructure company, recorded a 98.5% collapse in Iranian internet traffic within 30 minutes of the shutdown starting. NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, confirmed non-satellite connectivity dropped below 2% of normal levels.

[Bob Wills is still the king]

Starlink has never been immune to jamming and channel interference from advanced state actors.

[Valpal1]

They can’t jam them all. Information is still flowing.

[1Old Pro]

It’s tough to get starlink if you don’t have a starlink antenna set up. I can’t imagine many Iranians have that.

[hanamizu]

Iran is systematically crippling Starlink, the satellite internet service said to be almost impossible to jam.

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Watched Ryan McBeth on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OpAIglc_L8

He says ‘jamming StarLink might be tricky. Far easier to make people afraid to use it. The dishes (except for the mini) can be easily seen on the rooftop. Government says anyone using Star Link is an ‘Enemy of God’, an automatic death sentence.

[Robert DeLong]

98.5 percent loss is what is beinng reported.

Despite the widespread disruption, some users inside Iran, particularly in border towns, have confirmed that Starlink remains operational, though at reduced capacity and with delayed information flow to the outside world.

Experts, including Amir Rashidi of the Miaan Group, have stated that the interference is unlike anything seen in two decades of research, indicating a deliberate and highly sophisticated campaign.

The Iranian government has also conducted door-to-door raids to seize Starlink terminals, further limiting access and reinforcing its control over digital communication.

SpaceX has not yet released a software update to counter the jamming, unlike its response in Ukraine, raising concerns about the long-term viability of Starlink as a lifeline in authoritarian crackdowns.

[DesertRhino]

Remember when they gained control over our RQ-170 drone and had it land at their base? They must have some weird capabilities. Persians aren’t morons like Arabs, and with Chinese/Indian/Russian friends... they might have done some satellite blocking?

Wonder if FR has an expert who might know more.

[Valpal1]

Read it again. Starlink is at 20% mostly in bordertowns.

As usual, the headline says one thing and the intro paragraph is about a different thing. Because all things Elon generate very profitable traffic.

[libh8er]

Chinese tech.

[KingofZion]

This is not a difficult problem to solve. We should immediately target the IRGC and Iranian military comms. Presumably the Israelis already have intell on where these facilities are. Take them out and starlink will come back online.

[piasa]

…But Starlink, which beams its service directly from thousands of low-earth orbit satellites, is still working in some places in Iran, despite being banned by authorities there, three people using Starlink in the country told Reuters. One of them, in Western Iran, said he knew dozens of people using Starlink and that users in border towns and cities were largely unaffected.

Alp Toker, founder of internet monitoring group NetBlocks, said he has heard from people in the region that there is still some Starlink access in Iran, though service appears reduced.

“It is patchy, but still there,” he said.
…

[SaxxonWoods]

“Russia Helps Iran Jam Starlink Ending Protests; Trump Hits BRICS 25% Iran Tariff; US Prepares Strike”

-Alexander Mercouris

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Leave it to the MSM to find yet another reason why the rest of the world needs to worry.

[SaxxonWoods]

Towns near the border are working. The large population areas are dark.

[spintreebob]

Wonder what the US toolbox has to target the jammers?

[Robert DeLong]

Iran initiated a nationwide internet blackout on January 8, 2026, which led to a 98.5% collapse in internet traffic within 30 minutes, with non-satellite connectivity dropping below 2% of normal levels.

SOURCE

Starlink terminals rely on GPS signals to connect to satellites, and Iran’s jamming of these signals has severely degraded performance, with packet loss reaching over 80% in key areas.

ANOTHER SOURCE

I didn't go to the link provided, I looked for confirmation & what others gad to say.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

This shines a spotlight on the long-term risks with military drones. If someone figures out how to screw with your signals, your arsenal becomes useless. And if it happens, it is likely something they will spring on you when you would be most vulnerable.

[Blueflag]

Our SIGINT and ELINT guys just need to locate the transmitting jammers.

They’re easy targets. Just sayin’.

[Valpal1]

"with non-satellite connectivity dropping below 2% of normal levels"

There is satellite connectivity at 20% mostly in bordertowns. I'm not sure the alleged jamming is the problem. It's not safe to have an satellite antennae on your roof right now.

[ifinnegan]

You and your Chicom propaganda source have no credibility.

Foreign shills for Crink infecting Free Republic.