starlink owners in iran rrrested

The Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA) reported the seizure of 997 Starlink satellite internet devices and the arrest of 163 individuals between March and July 2026.

Hossein Rahimi, head of FARAJA’s Economic Security Police, stated that following the 12-day war, police vigilance regarding Starlink equipment increased, leading officers to operate “from zero point on the border to the heart of the cities.”

According to Rahimi, 15 vehicles transporting Starlink equipment were also impounded during these operations.

The Economic Security Police chief claimed that most of the equipment entered Iran through its western and northwestern borders via the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

He also identified Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman as origin points for equipment smuggled across Iran’s southern maritime borders.