On Friday SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he was activating Starlink satellite internet service in Iran, following bipartisan support from US lawmakers.
It appears as though the Iranian government is not happy with the possibility of SpaceX providing its citizens with unfettered access to the internet.
On Saturday the government reportedly blocked its citizens from being able to access the Starlink website.
The Twitter account Iran International English, a 24 hour Persian News Channel based in the United Kingdom, first shared the news on Twitter.
#BREAKING The official website of @SpaceXStarlink has been blocked in Iran after @elonmusk said he's "activating" the satellite internet service for the people of Iran, where the government has shut down the internet amid #IranProtests2022. pic.twitter.com/Xynvv2b7QT
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) September 24, 2022
The account mistakenly tagged a SpaceX fan account in the tweet, but that was later corrected to note it was the actual SpaceX website that was blocked, not the fan account, when asked for clarification by Teslarati, which first reported on the tweet.
A screenshot was also provided to show it was the Starlink website that could not be loaded with the browser displaying a connection error.
Iran has been attempting to curb widespread protests and demonstrations after the death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini while in custody for wearing “unsuitable attire,” namely not wearing her hijab properly.
The official cause of death was noted as being a heart attack, but her family has fought back against those claims saying she had no history of heart problems and that she suffered bruising to her legs while in custody.
There have also been eyewitness reports that she was beaten and leaked medical scans also indicate she had a cerebral hemorrhage and a stroke.
Since the demonstrations started, the government has cut internet access in several parts of the country, leading to Musk saying he would seek an exemption from international sanctions to provide Starlink service in the country.
