Iran Deploys ‘Kill Switch’ to Shut Down Internet and Starlink

Iran has imposed a near-total internet shutdown and disrupted satellite connectivity in an unprecedented move that monitoring groups say is aimed at isolating nationwide protests and controlling what information reaches the outside world.

Internet access across the country has remained close to zero for more than 80 hours, according to monitoring organizations, with national connectivity hovering around 1% of normal levels. Alongside the blackout, Iran has for the first time moved to significantly disrupt Starlink, the satellite network many protesters have relied on as a last-resort communications channel when domestic internet service is cut.

The immediate impact has been visible. Activists and researchers say there has been a dramatic drop in protest videos emerging from Iran over the past 24 hours, after days in which footage from Tehran and provincial cities circulated widely online. With communications largely severed, independent verification of events inside the country has become increasingly difficult.

Reports indicate that the Starlink disruption escalated rapidly. Internet researchers said roughly 30% of Starlink traffic was initially affected, before interference rose to more than 80% within hours. While Starlink has never been authorized by Iranian authorities and possession of the equipment is illegal, its use has grown during periods of unrest as protesters seek ways to stay connected when state networks are shut down.

How the shutdown works has become clearer in recent days. Starlink is a satellite-based internet system operated by SpaceX that allows users to access the internet without relying on local phone lines or cellular networks. Instead, a small dish on the ground connects directly to satellites orbiting overhead, making the service harder to block through traditional internet shutdowns.

For Starlink to function, each dish must constantly know its precise location in order to connect to the correct satellites. That positioning depends on GPS signals. By interfering with GPS reception, Iranian authorities were able to disrupt the link between Starlink dishes and the satellites above, effectively cutting off access without targeting the satellites themselves. Since its 12-day war with Israel last year, Iran has increasingly used GPS jamming technology, enabling authorities to degrade satellite internet selectively rather than shutting down the entire country at once. 

Monitoring groups say the scale of the blackout is unprecedented. NetBlocks reported that national connectivity has flatlined for days, a finding supported by data from Cloudflare. An internet security researcher quoted in technology media said the use of military-grade jamming against satellite internet marked a new level of digital repression. Analysts also warned of steep economic costs, with millions of dollars lost for every hour the country remains offline.

The United States has signaled it is watching closely. President Donald Trump said he may speak with Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX operates Starlink, about restoring access. “We may speak to Elon Musk… we may get the internet going,” Trump said. During Iran’s 2022 protests, U.S. officials coordinated with Musk to expand Starlink access after authorities imposed similar shutdowns.

With the shutdown now stretching into a fourth day, the effect is increasingly clear: fewer videos, fewer witnesses, and a deeper information void.