How Trump Secretly Boosted Protests In Iran With Starlink

The Trump administration quietly sent thousands of Starlink terminals to Iran in an effort to keep civilians connected to the outside world as the Islamic Republic brutally cracked down on anti-regime protests, according to a new report.

The development comes as the United States builds up military assets in the Middle East and continues negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.

According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials said 6,000 terminals were smuggled into Iran in January, following the regime’s internet blackout and deadly crackdown on protesters. While President Donald Trump was reportedly aware of the broader effort to expand connectivity for Iranians, officials said it is unclear whether he personally authorized the covert initiative.

The satellite systems were part of a broader purchase of nearly 7,000 units acquired in recent months after officials redirected funding from other internet-access initiatives for Iran, according to the WSJ. Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, enables users to access the internet through satellite connectivity even when authoritarian regimes attempt to censor or completely shut down traditional networks.

Although owning a Starlink terminal is illegal in Iran and can carry severe penalties, including a multi-year prison sentence, tens of thousands of Iranians are believed to possess the devices and use them to bypass regime firewalls and communicate more freely. Following the protests, Iranian authorities reportedly searched homes and rooftops for Starlink terminals.

Before Iran carried out the crackdown that some estimates say left as many as 36,000 people dead, Trump had warned the regime not to target protesters, threatening that the United States was “locked and loaded” and would “come to their rescue.”

Trump also assured protesters that “help is on its way,” and analysts said more Iranians took to the streets expecting U.S. support, including potential airstrikes on government and military targets, the WSJ reported.

Despite the warning, Iranian authorities proceeded, and videos emerged of protesters being gunned down and run over. In the aftermath, Trump shifted his focus toward pressuring the regime to enter a nuclear deal, warning that Iran’s Islamic leadership would face severe “consequences if they don’t make a deal” on its nuclear program.

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for a three-hour session at the White House on Wednesday, with Trump saying “nothing definitive” was reached and that he plans to continue negotiations with Iran.

“There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated,” Trump said. “If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference.”

If an agreement is not reached, Trump added, “we will just have to see what the outcome will be,” referencing Iran’s prior failure to reach a deal last year, when the United States deployed military pressure against its nuclear program.

“That did not work well for them,” Trump said. “Hopefully, this time they will be more reasonable and responsible.”