Israel smuggled Starlink system into Iran, ex-PM admits

Lead

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday that Israel had smuggled Starlink internet receivers into Iran to help anti-government protesters, but that the current government under Benjamin Netanyahu halted the effort. He spoke at a conference in Jerusalem, addressing the initiative he said he had launched while in office.

Coverage Comparison

The story was reported by multiple outlets, each providing slightly different details and context. Al Jazeera offered a brief account, focusing on Bennett's admission and Israel's role in the protests. Dawn and The Jerusalem Post provided more extensive coverage, including direct quotes from Bennett and background on Iran's previous accusations against Israel and the US. TASS — English, citing The Jerusalem Post, highlighted that Israel purchased the terminals and that the current government later dropped the practice.

All outlets agree on the core facts: Bennett initiated the smuggling of Starlink receivers into Iran, the devices were meant to help protesters coordinate, and the current Israeli government stopped the practice. However, there are minor variations in framing. Dawn and The Jerusalem Post emphasized the devices' intended purpose to ultimately topple the Iranian government, while TASS focused on the coordination aspect.

Key Claims

Bennett, who served as prime minister from June 2021 to July 2022, told an audience at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem that he had initiated a "process of acquiring and smuggling into Iran tens of thousands of Starlink receptors that would allow continuity of the internet and social networks." This was reported by Al Jazeera, Dawn, The Jerusalem Post, and TASS — English.

Starlink, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, provides satellite internet connections. Iran has previously accused Israel and the United States of smuggling the devices into the country to undermine its security, a claim that appears in multiple reports. The Jerusalem Post also noted that Starlink is not licensed to operate in Iran, but Musk has previously said the service is active there.

Bennett said the devices were intended to enable protesters to coordinate and ultimately topple the Iranian government, according to Dawn and The Jerusalem Post. He criticized the current government's decision to stop the practice, saying, "Unfortunately, the current incompetent Israeli government stopped doing that. And when the protest happened, that infrastructure was not there."

Bennett added that if he returned to office, he would work to undermine Iran's government with the aim of toppling it, potentially including measures short of direct military attacks, such as economic and industrial sabotage. This statement was reported by Dawn and The Jerusalem Post.

Perspectives

Naftali Bennett: The former prime minister defends the smuggling as a measure to support protesters and criticizes the current government for halting it, saying it left protesters without internet infrastructure during unrest.

Current Israeli Government (implied): No official response was reported. The Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond to questions, and SpaceX was unavailable for comment, as noted by The Jerusalem Post.