Iran Threatens to Flog Elon Musk's Starlink Users
Iran's parliament has voted to ban Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service, marking a sharp escalation in its crackdown on outside influence after U.S. and Israeli strikes. Users of the SpaceX-operated satellite service now face penalties of fines, flogging, or up to two years in prison if they are caught, according to state media.
The law, which also toughens espionage rules, targets foreign-backed dissent. Though pending final approval, it reflects Tehran's growing alarm over Starlink's role as a digital lifeline during internet blackouts and a potent symbol in its information war with the West.
Newsweek has reached out to Elon Musk via X for comment.
The Starlink ban underscores how private tech firms such as Starlink have become entangled in global conflict. Coming after U.S. and Israeli strikes, the move highlights how satellite internet is now a tool of modern warfare—and a threat in the eyes of governments like Iran's.
Iran's new legislation expands state powers over digital and foreign-linked activities. In addition to criminalizing Starlink, the law introduces sweeping penalties for espionage and cooperation with foreign adversaries. It defines "operational cooperation" with countries like the U.S. and Israel as "corruption on earth"—a capital offense under Iranian law. This includes actions such as cyberattacks, use of drones or sabotage tools, and accepting funds from foreign intelligence, even without taking action.
On June 14—just one day after Israeli airstrikes first targeted Iran—Elon Musk posted a four-word message on X: "The beams are on." The post confirmed the activation of Starlink's satellite internet service over Iran amid a sweeping government-imposed internet blackout. Tehran's shutdown came as part of its crackdown following escalating regional conflict, severing much of the country's digital communication with the outside world. Musk's move instantly provided a high-speed, uncensorable connection, offering Iranians a potential lifeline to bypass state censorship and maintain contact during a period of intense unrest.
Though exact numbers remain unclear, images circulated online throughout 2024 showed Starlink dishes installed on rooftops across Iran, often in direct defiance of strict local laws. According to Iranian tech outlet Zoomit, equipment costs range from IRR400 million ($673) to IRR2 billion ($3,367), with monthly fees around $40—making the service unaffordable for most Iranians.
Amid heavy government censorship and widespread internet blackouts, many Iranians rely on VPNs and other tools to bypass restrictions and access the outside world. Starlink has emerged as one of the few reliable options during these shutdowns, offering a critical lifeline for protesters and dissidents.
In the past few weeks, Iran has detained over 700 people accused of spying for Israel and the U.S., with state media reporting at least six executions, including three Kurds accused of aiding Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency. Security forces dismantled multiple drone-surveillance cells, arresting 53 people for filming sensitive sites and allegedly sharing footage with foreign outlets.
Human rights groups have condemned the arrests and executions as politically motivated and a severe violation of due process.
ISNA News Agency: "Under the law, violations could be punished with fines, flogging, or up to two years in prison."
Elon Musk: "The beams are on"
Iran's Guardian Council is expected to approve the Starlink ban within days. Authorities may begin enforcement shortly thereafter, targeting users, distributors, and any entities suspected of collaborating with perceived hostile states.
Related Articles
Iran's Supreme Leader Challenges TrumpThe Tension Between Trump, Israel and Iran - Last Week in Your WordsIran Issues Safety Warning to Nuclear InspectorsTrump Denies Making Iran Offer, Talks
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
24 minutes ago
- Associated Press
International Criminal Court hit with cyber security attack
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The International Criminal Court has been targeted by a 'sophisticated' cyberattack and is taking measures to limit any damage, the global tribunal announced Monday. The ICC, which also was hit by a cyberattack in 2023, said the latest incident had been contained but did not elaborate further on the impact or possible motive. 'A Court-wide impact analysis is being carried out, and steps are already being taken to mitigate any effects of the incident,' the court said in a statement. The attack happened last week. 'All necessary measures have been taken to ensure the business continuity,' court spokesman Fadi El Abdallah told The Associated Press. The incident happened in the same week that The Hague hosted a summit of 32 NATO leaders at a conference center near the court amid tight security including measures to guard against cyberattacks. The court declined to say whether any confidential information had been compromised. The ICC has a number of high-profile investigations and preliminary inquiries underway in nations around the world and has in the past been the target of espionage. In 2022, a Dutch intelligence agency said it had foiled a plot by a Russian spy using a false Brazilian identity to work as an intern at the court, which is investigating allegations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine and has issued a war crimes arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, over Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza have also drawn ire. U.S. President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, in February and earlier this month also sanctioned four judges at the court. The court is still feeling the effects of the last cyberattack, with wifi still not completely restored to its purpose-built headquarters.
New York Post
29 minutes ago
- New York Post
Hamas tortured hostage to death after misinterpreting eagle tattoo, brother says
A hostage was tortured to death by Hamas because they thought he was an Israeli pilot due to his eagle tattoo, his grieving brother told lawmakers Monday. Speaking before Knesset about the death of Itzik Elgarat, Dani Elgarat revealed that Hamas kidnapped his brother on Oct. 7, 2023, when they spotted an eagle tattoo on his arm and mistook the 68-year-old for a military pilot, The Times of Israel reported. 'They took him for interrogation and he never came back,' Dani told lawmakers. '…He suffered a heart attack during interrogation under torture.' Advertisement 4 Dani Elgarat said his brother was tortured to death by Hamas because they believed he was an Israeli pilot due to his eagle tattoo. Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images 4 Itzik Elgarat, 68, was allegedly taken to be interrogated by Hamas, with the hostage dying shortly afterwards. Instagram / @bring_itzik_home Itzik Elgarat, a father of two who also had Danish citizenship, was among the hostages whose bodies were released by Hamas during the short cease-fire in February, with the terrorists seen parading the coffins of the deceased in Gaza. Dani said his brother had been held alongside freed US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander, who allegedly reported that Itzik had vanished one day after being taken away for questioning by Hamas. Advertisement Alexander, an Israel Defense Forces soldier, had asked what happened to his cellmate, with the Hamas guards simply telling him that, 'He has gone.' The heartbroken brother, who remains one of the most vocal opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, did not provide further details about his brother's cause of death. 4 Elgarat's home lies in ruin after Hamas broke in and carried away the injured father-of-two. Getty Images Advertisement 4 Elgarat's family and supporters held a funeral at his home in Nir Oz after Hamas released his body in late February. Getty Images During Itzik's funeral at his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, Dani blamed Netanyahu for his brother's death and accused the prime minister of effectively killing his brother for failing to prevent the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. Dani has been previously removed from Knesset by force after yelling at Netanyahu for the repeated stalls over the hostage exchange deals with Hamas, with the grieving brother even threatening to file a police complaint against the prime minister for 'homicide.' Advertisement Dani was on the phone with his brother on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, with Itzik informing him that he had suffered a serious hand injury while trying to hide from Hamas gunmen. The call cut off as Itzik yelled goodbye to his brother, with his phone coordinates revealing that he was already hulled into central Gaza by the time the IDF expelled Hamas out of Israel.
New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
Victim of Boulder Firebombing Attack Dies of Wounds
An 82-year-old woman wounded in a Boulder, Colo., firebombing attack on marchers who had gathered in early June to support Israeli hostages has died of her injuries, prosecutors announced on Monday. That turned the crime into a possible death-penalty case against the Egyptian man charged with the attack after the authorities say he shouted pro-Palestinian slogans as he threw Molotov cocktails into the crowd. Many called the attack an act of antisemitism. Prosecutors on Monday identified the victim as Karen Diamond, saying she had died of 'severe injuries that she suffered in the attack.' Her death prompted the Boulder district attorney to file new charges of first-degree murder against the man accused of carrying out the attack, Mohamed Sabry Soliman. 'This horrific attack has now claimed the life of an innocent person who was beloved by her family and friends,' Michael Dougherty, the Boulder County district attorney, said in a statement. Colorado abolished the death penalty in 2020, so the maximum state penalty the defendant could face if convicted of Ms. Diamond's murder is life in prison. But federal prosecutors under President Trump, who carried out an aggressive spree of executions during his first term, could now seek the death penalty against Mr. Soliman. A spokeswoman for the U. S. Attorney's Office in Colorado declined to comment. Federal officials have already charged Mr. Soliman, 45, with a hate crime in the June 1 attack, which left the Jewish community in Colorado reeling and called attention to growing antisemitic rhetoric and violence in the United States. He has pleaded not guilty to the state and federal charges. Ms. Diamond was part of a group of marchers who had been walking down the outdoor pedestrian Pearl Street Mall in Boulder as part of the group Run For Their Lives, which walks in support of Israeli hostages who have been held in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. In a social media post, the group called her death 'a heavy and heartbreaking moment.' The defendant had said that he wanted to 'kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' prosecutors said in court papers. The attacker yelled 'Free Palestine' as he hurled two incendiary devices, and investigators said he had brought 16 additional devices to the event. He told investigators that he disguised himself as a gardener in order to get as close as possible to the marchers before attacking them. Thirteen people were physically injured in the attack, including eight who were sent to the hospital with burns and other injuries. The Boulder district attorney's office said on Monday that it had identified a total of 29 victims from the attack. Jonathan Lev, director of the Boulder Jewish Community Center, told members of the group about Ms. Diamond's death in an email on Monday, calling her 'a cherished member of our community, someone whose warmth and generosity left a lasting impact on all who knew her.'
