Israel smuggled Starlink into Iran to help protesters but 'incompetent' Netanyahu didn't use them, says former PM [View all]
Source: The Independent
Tuesday 23 June 2026 10:14 EDT
Israel secretly smuggled Starlink internet receivers into Iran to support anti-government protesters five years ago but Benjamin Netanyahu failed to follow through on the plans, former prime minister Naftali Bennett has claimed.
Speaking at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, Mr Bennett, who served as prime minister from 2021 to 2022, said he had initiated a "process of acquiring and smuggling into Iran tens of thousands of Starlink receptors that would allow continuity of the internet and social networks".
Starlink, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, provides satellite internet connections. Its operation is not licensed to operate in Iran, though Mr Musk has previously said the service is active there. Iranian authorities have previously accused Israel and the US of smuggling these devices to undermine its security. Mr Bennett explained the devices were intended to enable protesters to coordinate and ultimately topple the Iranian government.
"Unfortunately, the current incompetent Israeli government stopped doing that," he said. "And when the protest happened, that infrastructure was not there.". Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to questions on Bennett’s remarks and SpaceX was not available for comment outside US business hours.
Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/middle-east/israel-smuggled-starlink-iran-protests-b3001306.html
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