Former PM admits Israel smuggled Starlinks to Iran during January riots
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett admitted that Tel Aviv smuggled Starlink satellite internet terminals into Iran during the January 2023 riots, aiming to help protesters bypass internet restrictions. The admission confirms previous Iranian accusations of Israeli involvement in the unrest.
Background
Press TV is Iran's state-owned English-language news network, so this report reflects the Iranian government's perspective.
- Starlink is SpaceX's satellite internet service, which can operate independently of national telecommunications infrastructure — making it hard for governments to block.
- "January riots" refers to the widespread anti-government protests in Iran that began in September 2022 (sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini) and continued into 2023, during which internet access was heavily restricted by Iranian authorities.
- The claim here is that a former Israeli prime minister (not named in the headline but reportedly Ehud Olmert or another former official) admitted Israel smuggled Starlink terminals into Iran to help protesters bypass internet blackouts. Israel has not officially confirmed this; the accusation fits into Iran's longstanding narrative that foreign adversaries orchestrate its domestic unrest.