The Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA) reported the seizure of 997 Starlink satellite internet devices and the arrest of 163 individuals between March and July 2026.
Hossein Rahimi, head of FARAJA’s Economic Security Police, stated that following the 12-day war, police vigilance regarding Starlink equipment increased, leading officers to operate “from zero point on the border to the heart of the cities.”
According to Rahimi, 15 vehicles transporting Starlink equipment were also impounded during these operations.
The Economic Security Police chief claimed that most of the equipment entered Iran through its western and northwestern borders via the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
He also identified Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman as origin points for equipment smuggled across Iran’s southern maritime borders.
FARAJA provided no details regarding the identities of those arrested, the specific charges brought against them, their places of detention, or the status of their legal cases. It also remains unclear how many of the seized devices were active before confiscation.
Starlink is a satellite constellation managed by SpaceX that provides direct internet access independent of domestic telecommunications infrastructure. During periods of widespread internet shutdowns or disruptions, the technology has served as a primary means of circumventing government restrictions in Iran.
The unauthorized possession, use, purchase, sale, or importation of satellite internet equipment is criminalized under Iranian law. Under legislation titled “Escalation of Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile States,” personal possession or use of such equipment carries a prison sentence ranging from six months to two years.
Manufacturing, distributing, installing, or importing the equipment for commercial sale carries penalties of two to five years in prison. The law mandates even more severe sentences if the equipment’s use is deemed to involve “intent to oppose the regime” or “espionage.”
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