The Trump administration has taken extraordinary steps to keep the flame of liberty alive in Iran. According to reports from U.S. officials, thousands of Starlink satellite internet terminals were covertly delivered into the hands of Iranian dissidents and protesters following the regime’s savage January crackdown.
The mullahs in Tehran, desperate to silence their own people, slaughtered thousands of brave demonstrators and imposed draconian internet blackouts to prevent the world, and Iranians themselves, from witnessing the atrocities. Yet President Donald Trump, true to his promise of maximum pressure on rogue regimes and unwavering support for those yearning for freedom, authorized an operation that bypassed these digital chains.
The State Department quietly acquired nearly 7,000 Starlink units, most in the lead-up to and during the unrest, redirecting resources from broader internet-freedom efforts to prioritize this high-impact lifeline.
Roughly 6,000 of these advanced devices were successfully smuggled into Iran, marking the first direct U.S. provision of Starlink technology to the country. These terminals, illegal under the regime’s repressive laws and punishable by years in prison, have enabled anti-government activists, ordinary citizens, and resistance networks to communicate, share evidence of human rights abuses, and organize without fear of total blackout.
For too long, weak policies allowed the ayatollahs to crush dissent with impunity while hiding behind censorship. The Biden administration’s approach often amounted to empty rhetoric and failed negotiations that emboldened Tehran. In contrast, President Trump’s team acted decisively: aware of the operation at the highest levels, they chose to equip freedom-loving Iranians with the tools to expose tyranny and sustain their fight for basic rights.
The Iranian people deserve better than a government that murders its youth, executes protesters, and fears open communication more than anything. By providing these Starlink terminals, America isn’t starting a revolution—it’s refusing to abandon one already underway. The message is clear: The United States under President Trump will not stand idly by while allies of freedom are strangled.
