Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence claimed that it seized hundreds of Starlink satellite internet systems in a nationwide operation, according to Iranian state media on Tuesday.

“The locations of satellite systems were identified and the criminal activities of their users were monitored and controlled,” the Ministry of Intelligence said in a statement, reported by Iran’s Mehr News and Tasnim News.

“This series of actions will continue until all satellite internet terminals that serve the enemy in any way are fully identified,” the Ministry of Intelligence statement continued. “According to the law, use of illegal Starlink systems is a crime and during wartime, it is punishable by the severest penalties.”

For context: Iran’s internet blackout is now entering day 18, according to the internet monitor Netblocks. But the Iranian population is one of the most sophisticated in the world when it comes to circumventing web restrictions, and chief among the tools is satellite internet, like Elon Musk’s Starlink, which the company has made free in Iran.

It’s estimated that in the country of roughly 92 million people, only about 50,000 Starlink terminals have been smuggled into the country, according to digital activists cited by FreedomHouse. Estimates vary, though.

Source: CNN

- Agencies