Elon Musk reveals nearly 100 Starlink devices active in Iran as anti-hijab protests rage

Twitter and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that the total number of active internet terminals of his Starlink satellite in Iran is close to a hundred, amid widespread protests and internet disruptions in the country. Sharing the news on his Twitter handle on Monday, Musk wrote: "Approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran.”

The tweet came as a response to a video shared by investment forum Wall Street Silver, which displayed Iranian women walking on the streets surrounded by food joints and eateries. “Streets of Iran now ... more freedom for the women to choose whether they cover their hair or not,” read the caption of the clip. 

Musk, who revealed that Iran is nearing 100 active Starlink devices, reportedly had a discussion with officials of the White House in October to devise ways to provide seamless internet service to Iran, thus amplifying and supporting nationwide anti-hijab protests.

According to Fox Business, Musk stated in September that he would require to be exempted from sanctions on Iran in order to start Starlink operations in the country. Starlink works by establishing connections between thousands of low-earth orbit satellites and user terminals on earth. 

How has Starlink helped various nations in the past

This isn’t the first time that Starlink has come to the rescue of nations experiencing distressing situations. Earlier in February this year, it delivered a shipment of user terminals to Ukraine, merely days after the country was invaded by Russian forces and faced multiple internet outages.

Moreover, south Pacific islands in Tonga were also sent user terminals by Starlink following the eruption of a volcano, which disrupted internet services on the island. Meanwhile, in Iran, internet connectivity has undergone major disruptions, specifically in regions around the city of Sanandaj, according to the internet monitor NetBlocks.

Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by the morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly, protests sparked across the nation, with citizens calling for the world’s attention through disturbing clips and images on social media. This resulted in internet restrictions being imposed by the Iranian government, which also simultaneously carried out a bloody crackdown on protesters.