Elon Musk signaled late Friday night that he is providing Iranians with Starlink satellite internet after conservative analyst Mark Levin asked him to turn the service on in Iran during Israel‘s conflict with the country.
“The beams are on,” Musk said in a response to Levin’s request on X.
Levin’s initial post argued that if Starlink is turned on in the country, “Musk can put the final nail in the coffin of the Iranian regime.” Starlink is Musk’s satellite internet service.
Iran restricted internet access for millions of people following Israel’s strike on the country. Internet usage in the country heavily declined after the restrictions were issued, according to the internet monitoring group Netblocks. There hasn’t been a complete block of traffic, however, as Levin’s post suggested.
⚠️ Confirmed: Analysis shows a decline in international internet traffic from #Iran, corroborating user reports of poor service, with gateway and virtual server providers particularly impacted as the Ministry of Communications announces temporary internet restrictions; the… pic.twitter.com/a8iEiZqunW
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) June 13, 2025
Iranian officials said the restrictions were placed because of the “special conditions” surrounding the country.
“We inform the honourable people of Iran that, in view of the country’s special conditions and with the measures of the competent authorities, temporary restrictions have been imposed on the country’s internet,” a message from the country’s Ministry of Information and Communications said.
Starlink’s website does not list Starlink service as available in Iran, though it is available in Jordan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. Despite this, Musk appears to be able to activate service in areas of need like his activation of it in a Gaza hospital last year.
Musk’s likely hopes to boost resistance to Islamic rule in Iran with his activation of Starlink in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged the populace to rise up against its rule.
“The time has come for you to unite around your flag and your historic legacy, by standing up for your freedom from an evil and oppressive regime,” Netanyahu said Friday. “It has never been weaker. This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard.”
Israel hit Iran with a surprise attack on Thursday, killing multiple high-ranking military leaders and damaging nuclear sites. Iran responded with a missile barrage of its own against Israel, though few made it through to the country’s capital of Tel Aviv. The U.S. assisted in shooting down the missiles.
Overnight on Friday, both countries traded strikes on each other. Iran launched several waves of missiles toward Israeli military centers and air bases, and Israel restarted strikes on Iran’s capital of Tehran. Iranian state media said Israel hit the provinces of East Azerbaijan, Lorestan and Kermanshah.
Iran claimed that an Israeli strike killed 60 people in a residential building in Tehran, including 20 children. An exact death toll from Israeli strikes on Iran is unclear, but Iran’s United Nations envoy said at least 78 people were killed on Friday, and hundreds have been injured.
IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE URGES MILITARY TO REBEL, JOIN RESISTANCE AGAINST REGIME
Iranian strikes on Israel have killed at least three and injured dozens.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Saturday that “Tehran will burn” if Iran continues to target Israeli civilians.
