Key facts
- Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett claims Israel smuggled Starlink receivers into Iran.
- The initiative aimed to provide internet for anti-government protesters.
- Bennett stated the current Israeli government halted the plan.
- Starlink is a satellite internet service owned by SpaceX.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett revealed that his government had initiated a process to smuggle tens of thousands of Starlink internet receivers into Iran. Speaking at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, Bennett stated the intention was to provide internet continuity and social network access for anti-government protesters, enabling them to coordinate and ultimately topple the Iranian government.
Bennett, who served as prime minister from 2021 to 2022, criticized the current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for failing to follow through on these plans. He asserted that the infrastructure was not in place when protests occurred, implying a missed opportunity. Starlink, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, provides satellite internet connections and is not officially licensed to operate in Iran, though the service has been reported to be active there.