'Israel' smuggled thousands of Starlink units into Iran: Former 'Israeli' PM

• Naftali Bennett says the effort aimed to help anti-government protesters stay connected.
• Bennett criticizes Benjamin Netanyahu for halting the deployment.
• Netanyahu’s office and Elon Musk had no immediate comment.

In a stunning public disclosure, former 'Israeli' Prime Minister Naftali Bennett acknowledged on Tuesday that 'Israel' orchestrated a massive covert operation to smuggle tens of thousands of Starlink satellite internet terminals into Iran.

Speaking before an audience at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, Bennett stated that the secret infrastructure project was explicitly launched during his 2021–2022 premiership to aid anti-government civilian movements.

However, he claimed the strategic operation was later abandoned by the current administration.

Bypassing digital iron curtain

According to Bennett, the primary objective of introducing the commercial satellite broadband tech -developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX- was to bypass the total internet blackouts repeatedly deployed by Iranian authorities during domestic unrest.

"I 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," Bennett told the summit.

He emphasized that the clandestine devices were intended to help local protesters organize, communicate with the outside world, and ultimately push for regime change.

Tehran has long accused both 'Israel' and the United States of illicitly funneling Starlink hardware across its borders to undermine state security.

While the satellite network is not officially licensed to operate inside Iran, Musk has previously confirmed that the constellation's coverage is active over the territory.

Fierce campaign on Netanyahu

Bennett, who leads a right-wing opposition party and is actively vying to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the national elections scheduled by October, heavily weaponized the revelation against his political rival.

He accused Netanyahu's government of short-sighted complacency, asserting that the current leadership completely failed to complete the intelligence operation.

"Unfortunately, the current incompetent 'Israeli' government stopped doing that," Bennett claimed. "And when the protest happened, that infrastructure was not there."

The Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem did not immediately return requests for comment regarding Bennett's remarks.

Representatives for SpaceX were also unavailable for comment outside of US business hours.

The disclosure highlights the intensifying geopolitical weaponization of private low-Earth-orbit satellite systems. In Iran, digital connectivity has frequently plummeted to as low as 1% of normal levels during major internal crises, as well as during recent military escalations involving 'Israel' and the United States.

In response to the proliferation of smuggled hardware, Iran's parliament has heavily cracked down on the technology, passing legislation that penalizes the use or distribution of unlicensed satellite terminals with heavy prison sentences.

Looking forward, Bennett stated that if he is successfully re-elected to the prime minister's office, he intends to double down on aggressive, non-military strategies to systematically weaken Tehran's authority.

He indicated that his future defense policy would lean heavily on industrial sabotage, economic strangleholds, and underground technological interventions to isolate and destabilize the Iranian government from within.