Elon Musk says he will seek exemption from Iran sanctions for Starlink internet

The people of Ukraine have previously had the experience of using Starlink satellite internet when Russian attacks caused severe disruptions to the internet.

The Iranian government uses internet disruptions and shutdowns as a tool to counter protests, including cutting off the internet across the country for several days during the November 2019 protests.

On Monday, amid fresh protests in various Iranian cities, reports emerged of renewed internet disruptions in some areas.

NetBlocks, a website that monitors internet disruptions around the world, reported that internet connectivity in the city of Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province, has been virtually cut off since 4 p.m. on Monday . The website attributed the internet outage in Sanandaj to widespread protests over the death of Mahsa Amini while she was being arrested by the Ershad Patrol Police.

Also, reports from some social media users indicate that mobile internet has been cut off in central Tehran.

Previously, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in May of this year that Washington supports the rights of the Iranian people to peacefully assemble and freedom of expression "online and offline without fear of violence or reprisal."

At the time, analysts viewed this statement as a green light for SpaceX to provide Starlink internet services to Iran.

Source: Radio Farda