A report published October 1, 2026, said Mohammad Hafez Hokmi, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Technology for Innovation and Technology, had raised electricity cuts during a future crisis as a possible way to impede Starlink. Hokmi described the satellite service as operating outside Iran’s domestic telecommunications network. The remarks were not a ratified policy, and Hokmi reportedly said no policy had been drafted.
Why Hokmi raised electricity cuts
Hokmi’s reported reasoning was that Starlink no longer depended on Iran’s domestic network. In his account, electricity could become a point of pressure during a future crisis because the service operates beyond that network.
Iran’s reported history of internet restrictions
Hokmi’s account described a sequence of restrictions: blocking one platform in 2017; full internet shutdowns during the 2019 protests; filtering two additional major platforms after the 2022 protests; and shutting down the entire network during protests in 2025. The chronology describes earlier restrictions, not actions directed at Starlink.
Would a grid outage disable a Starlink terminal?
Not necessarily. Starlink terminals require electricity, but a battery, generator or other backup power source can keep a terminal running during a grid outage.
