Tehran is protesting the unlicensed operation of Starlink terminals. The ITU is handling the dispute under radio regulations; Iran has not announced a decision to attack the network.
Iran summoned Norway’s ambassador and protested the continued unlicensed operation of Starlink satellite internet terminals. The following day, Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace, said the network’s infrastructure could become a “legitimate military target” if used as a weapon. Al Jazeera reported the warning; the remarks cited did not announce a decision to attack the network.
Tehran alleges that the United States and Israel use satellite internet systems to interfere in Iran’s affairs. Those accusations reflect the Iranian government’s position. Starlink is operated by US-based SpaceX, while Norway is the notifying administration to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for the satellite systems involved in the dispute.
The ITU’s Radio Regulations Board is handling the case. In the published record of its 102nd meeting, the board cited Iran’s difficulty identifying all terminals across its large territory because of their small size and design. Iran renewed a request to begin procedures to suspend frequency assignments for the network. The board said that a notifying administration’s failure to comply with Resolution 22 did not give it authority to suspend those assignments. It again urged Norway and the United States to use available measures to have the operator disable unauthorised transmissions in Iran.
Norway has previously disputed how its obligations should be interpreted, including a requirement to pursue terminal deactivation when the rules contain no explicit instruction to do so. Al Jazeera said the latest diplomatic protest comes amid a long-running dispute at the ITU. Satellite links can provide users with a route around local terrestrial networks; any further effect will depend on the regulator’s and operator’s actions.