IRAN: Billionaire Elon Musk has revealed that 100 satellite internet terminals are now operational in Iran. This statement was surprising as the Iranian government has barred internet access due to months of anti-government demonstrations. The biggest protests have rocked Iran in years following the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16. The country’s police had arrested the 22-year-old for not wearing her hijab correctly and sporting skinny jeans.
As Iran’s government applied more stringent access restrictions in response to widespread protests, Musk had pledged to introduce Starlink to the nation in September.
Starlink offers internet connection to consumers below via more than 2,000 small satellites orbiting just a few hundred kilometres above Earth. The simple routers that produce small WiFi hotspots are then connected to the land-based terminals.
Musk established a reputation as a hero in Ukraine earlier this year after the country received thousands of Starlink terminals from him in the days following Russia’s invasion. There are currently 20,000 of the tiny white receivers spread out across Ukraine.
In response to a user whose video they claimed was shot in the “streets of Iran,” where there is now “greater freedom for women to choose whether or not they cover their hair,” Twitter CEO Musk sent a reply on Monday.
The tweet seems to refer to the worldwide demonstrations that broke out when Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman, 22, was killed in September after being detained in Tehran for allegedly violating the tight dress code that is in place there.
Long before Twitter was blocked in Iran, Iranians used VPNs to access restricted websites. Even government officials, like the foreign minister, had Twitter accounts.
Also Read: 7 People Connected to Britain Detained in Iran for Protesting
