WANA (Jul 17) – The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran has filed an official complaint with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), protesting against the unauthorized operation of Starlink’s satellite internet services within Iranian territory.

 

According to the ministry, Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, has been providing satellite internet in Iran without obtaining the necessary permits.

 

Under international regulations, satellite internet providers are required to obtain prior authorization from national regulatory authorities before operating within a country’s borders—a process Starlink has followed in countries such as India, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Pakistan.

 

Since 2021, Iran has been pursuing the issue through legal and technical channels with the ITU, demanding that SpaceX respect Iran’s territorial and regulatory rights.

 

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These regulations, known as “landing rights,” mandate that satellite internet providers must comply with national laws and obtain formal approval before offering services.

 

The ITU, acting as the global regulatory body for telecommunications, ruled in favor of Iran. It instructed SpaceX to halt its services in

 

Iran until official authorization is granted, and to disable any unauthorized Starlink equipment already operating within the country. SpaceX reportedly acknowledged this ruling.

 

This is not the first time Starlink has faced legal challenges over unauthorized activity. Countries including India, China, and Russia have also raised objections to Starlink’s unlicensed presence in their national airspace and territory.

 

The issue has also taken a political turn. Amid recent Israeli military actions against Iran, Israeli lobby groups and an assistant to Donald Trump reportedly urged Elon Musk to expand Starlink services in Iran to support Israeli operations—an appeal to which Musk reportedly responded positively.

Iran’s official Complaint letter against Starlink for unauthorized operations to the ITU. Social media/ WANA News Agency