Iranian Protests Continue – Internet Shut Down

The protests in Iran are soon entering their third week, and in an attempt to quell the public’s anger, the regime has shut down the country’s internet. Iranians with access to Elon Musk’s Starlink, however, can bypass the censorship.

It all began as demonstrations against rising living costs but has increasingly been taken over by the anger that the population has long felt towards the repressive Islamist dictatorship.

Thursday evening’s protests in the capital Tehran, described as enormous, are said to have remained peaceful without interventions from security forces. The demonstrators are demanding the removal of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the reinstatement of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former shah. Pahlavi has called on Iranians to continue protesting.

https://t.co/gyDgPFjum9 pic.twitter.com/tZF3kOaJak

— Negar (@Negaarsh) January 8, 2026

Since the start of the demonstrations, just over 30 protesters have been killed and 2,270 imprisoned. The US president has repeatedly warned the regime against cracking down too harshly on the population.

According to judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, they will “resolutely hand out the harshest possible punishments to rioters, without concessions.”

Musk activates Starlink

On Friday, the internet was still down, but Elon Musk and SpaceX are said to have activated Starlink’s satellite internet in the country. Iranians with smuggled-in Starlink terminals gain access to uncensored internet, thus bypassing state restrictions. Access is reportedly free for a limited period.

Even though Musk does not deliver hardware directly due to sanctions and bans, he has repeatedly enabled the service to support connections during crises, making it a lifeline for protesters and dissidents.

Iran has protested against Starlink to international bodies and uses jamming technology, but low-earth orbit satellites make complete blackouts harder to achieve. Authorities have also disrupted phone lines and targeted the media to hamper the flow of information.