Sahand Sends a Dozen Star Link Terminals Into Iran
Sahand says he has sent a dozen star link terminals into Iran since January, as part of a clandestine network moving satellite internet gear across the border. He says the devices are illegal in Iran and that the network is looking for more ways to smuggle them in.
Sahand and the border route
Sahand, who spoke outside Iran, described the route as one that has to get the terminals across borders before they can be sold or used. He said, “smuggle them through the borders,” and added that several people can connect to each terminal at the same time.
He also said, “If even one extra person is able to access the internet, I think it's successful and it's worth it,” and warned, “If I was identified by the Iranian regime, they might make those I'm in touch with in Iran pay the price.”
Iran's internet blackout
Iran has been in digital darkness for more than two months, after the current blackout began on 28 February following US and Israeli airstrikes. The government said it shut down the internet during the war for security reasons, and internet access had already been partially restored for just one month after a January digital shutdown tied to a crackdown on nationwide protests.
The shutdown has made Starlink terminal traffic more than a technical workaround. It has become a covert supply chain aimed at restoring basic access inside a country that has lived through repeated internet restrictions.
Starlink trade keeps moving
Witness estimated in January that there are at least 50,000 Starlink terminals in Iran. A volunteer outside Iran told the that approximately 5,000 terminals have been sold through the NasNet Telegram channel in the past two and a half years.
The legal risk is severe. Last year, the Iranian government passed legislation making using, buying, or selling Starlink devices punishable by up to two years in prison. The jail term for distributing or importing more than 10 Starlink devices can be up to 10 years, and state-affiliated media reported four arrests last month for importing satellite internet equipment.
For people trying to stay online, the immediate question is whether more terminals can get through without exposing the people handling them inside Iran. That is the pressure point now: a growing black market on one side, and prison terms that rise sharply once imports pass 10 devices on the other.
