Naftali Bennett's Admission: Smuggling Tens of Thousands of Starlink Terminals into Iran

In a shocking revelation that sheds new light on the cyber and technological warfare between Tel Aviv and Tehran, Naftali Bennett, the former Prime Minister of Israel, admitted that the country secretly smuggled thousands of Starlink satellite internet receivers into Iranian territory. These remarks, made on June 23, 2026, during the "JNS International Policy Summit" in Jerusalem, confirm long-standing speculation regarding Israel's direct role in equipping Iranian government opponents with advanced communication tools [1][2].

Details of the Smuggling Operation in Bennett's Words Bennett, who held the helm of the Israeli government between 2021 and 2022, announced in his speech that he personally initiated the process of procuring and secretly transferring "tens of thousands" of Starlink receivers to Iran. According to him, the goal of this action was to ensure continuous access to the internet and social networks for protesters during internet shutdowns by Iranian authorities [3]. He emphasized that this infrastructure was designed to allow demonstrators to organize their activities and ultimately strive to overthrow the government [4].

Sharp Criticism of the Netanyahu Government A significant portion of Bennett's speech was dedicated to criticizing the performance of the current government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. He claimed that after he left the Prime Minister's office, the Netanyahu government failed to follow through and complete the plan. Calling the current government "incompetent," Bennett stated: "Unfortunately, the current government halted this program, and when the recent protests occurred, the communication infrastructure we had envisioned was not available to the protesters" [2][5]. These statements come while Israel has been involved in direct military tensions with Iran in recent months.

Starlink: A New Tool in Geopolitical Battles This revelation once again highlighted the role of private technology companies, particularly Elon Musk's SpaceX, in international conflicts. Although Starlink does not have an official license to operate in Iran, Elon Musk had previously confirmed the service's activity in Iran [1]. Reports indicate that during the widespread protests in January, as well as during the military conflicts that began in late February 2026, some users in Iran used these smuggled terminals to send images and coordinate activities [3].

Reactions and Consequences So far, Benjamin Netanyahu's office and SpaceX have not responded to requests for comment on Bennett's remarks. However, Iranian officials have repeatedly accused Israel and the United States of interfering in their internal affairs through technological tools. This explicit admission could lead to intensified security measures at Iran's borders and a harsher crackdown on owners of unauthorized satellite internet equipment [4][5].