WANA (Oct 13) – Seyyed Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace, said around 80% of Starlink communication packets in Iran were disrupted during the December unrest, while much of the remaining traffic was rendered largely ineffective. He also said Iran has developed several systems to manage and disrupt satellite terminals, stressing that Starlink technology can be countered through technical means.
Aghamiri said Iranian specialists had designed and tested systems to identify and manage satellite communications. According to him, one of these technologies was deployed during the December unrest, and foreign reports have also referred to widespread disruptions to Starlink communications during that period.
He stressed that countering Starlink is not limited to disrupting the Global Positioning System (GPS), adding that other technologies have been developed to identify terminals and interfere with communications between transmitters and receivers. Aghamiri said identifying Starlink terminals is one of Iran’s priorities.
Iran Pursues International Action Over Starlink Operations
Aghamiri said Iran’s Ministry of Communications had submitted multiple complaints and supporting documents to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) over the past two to three years regarding Starlink’s operations.
According to Aghamiri, Iran has called for the service to comply with international telecommunications regulations and has raised the issue with the relevant regulatory authority in Norway and the U.S. side. He also said Iran’s Foreign Ministry had sent a formal warning to Norway.
Emphasizing national sovereignty and compliance with international rules governing radio-frequency spectrum, Aghamiri said the relevant authority had accepted Iran’s arguments in the latest stages of the proceedings.
Addressing Starlink’s use in military conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, he said the technology could serve purposes beyond communications, including military command and control, drone operations, espionage networks and intelligence gathering.
Referring to statements by U.S. officials and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about the use of the technology in wartime, Aghamiri said Starlink should not be viewed solely as a civilian communications tool and that its potential military applications must also be examined.
Cyberattacks Intensify Before Military Operations
Aghamiri said cyberattacks typically increase several days before military operations begin and may continue even after a ceasefire is established.
Referring to cyberattacks carried out last week, he said most had been contained, although attackers had achieved their objectives in two cases. Efforts to manage and control the situation, he added, were continuing.
The head of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace cited several types of cyberattacks, including distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, social engineering and the exploitation of infected software. He said such attacks could originate both inside and outside Iran.
Addressing internet restrictions during emergencies, Aghamiri said limiting access routes could reduce the scale of certain attacks, particularly those carried out by amateur groups, allowing cybersecurity teams to focus more effectively on sophisticated attackers.
Referring to the 12-day war, he said international internet access was cut during the final 72 hours of the conflict as part of measures taken to manage the security situation.
Aghamiri described cyberwarfare as one component of a broader hybrid confrontation encompassing military, economic, security and cognitive dimensions. He also cited the Stuxnet cyberattack against Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying the use of cyber tools for military purposes remains a global security threat.
National Information Network Reaches Nearly 60% Completion
Aghamiri put the development of Iran’s National Information Network at nearly 60%, saying its reported completion rate had risen from around 20% over a period of two to three years, although progress had subsequently experienced delays.
He acknowledged shortcomings in domestic digital services, including search engines and cloud computing infrastructure, and said these problems needed to be addressed to ensure users could access reliable services during both normal and emergency conditions.
According to Aghamiri, an assessment of the network was conducted in March, and a new evaluation is being prepared. He said indicators such as access speed, connection latency and data transmission quality should be used to measure the network’s performance.
The cyberspace chief said one of the most important lessons from the period of international internet restrictions was the need to strengthen Iran’s domestic digital ecosystem.
He noted that services such as the Shad educational platform and some domestic social networks continued operating during the restrictions, allowing certain everyday services to remain available. However, he acknowledged that activities dependent on international internet access continued to face difficulties.
Aghamiri said reducing reliance on foreign hardware, software and infrastructure could strengthen Iran’s ability to maintain essential services during crises. He added that authorities were considering measures to minimize disruptions to critical activities, including essential goods trade, scientific work and the operations of journalists and media organizations during internet restrictions.
Aghamiri: Poor Network Quality Is Unacceptable
Aghamiri called for reliable, evidence-based statistics on the widespread use of VPNs in Iran. He said internet filtering policies should be evaluated based on their actual outcomes and that a 32-point resolution had been drafted following reviews of existing policies.
Emphasizing the need to improve internet quality, he said the Ministry of Communications bears primary responsibility for network performance and that disruptions at any level of the communications infrastructure must be identified and resolved.
Providing people with poor-quality services, he stressed, is unacceptable.
Aghamiri also announced plans to assess the cybersecurity of digital service platforms. Under the proposed process, organizations covered by the scheme will be given one month to address vulnerabilities identified during initial assessments. Their security will then be reassessed, and the results will be made public. Banks and universities are also expected to participate in subsequent stages.
He also highlighted the potential of cyberspace to promote educational equity, improve access to government services and expand online markets. Digital technologies, he said, can reduce geographical and time-related barriers and make services and markets more accessible.
At the same time, Aghamiri stressed the need to address online risks, including internet fraud and threats affecting children and adolescents. Policymaking in this area, he said, must take economic, social, security, cultural and legal considerations into account.
Aghamiri concluded that strengthening domestic digital infrastructure and services, reducing dependence on foreign technologies and improving cybersecurity remain key priorities for Iran as it seeks to manage cyberspace and maintain essential services during emergencies.