Elon Musk said SpaceX would seek exemptions from U.S. sanctions on Iran to launch a Starlink satellite above the country to help protesters get internet access.
The announcement arrived on Monday amid protests in Iran over a woman who died in Iranian police custody. The country’s internet went down immediately, leading some to request that Musk send his satellite-based internet network to the country.
“Starlink will ask for an exemption to Iranian sanctions in this regard,” Musk said in response to a tweet from Persian researcher and journalist Erfan Kasraie.
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The announcement comes after the Iranian government shut down the local internet. Network data in Iran showed a “near-total disruption” in the capital of the Kurdistan province, according to NetBlocks.
Iranians have protested in Tehran for three straight days after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died at the hands of Iranian authorities. At least five people have been killed amid the protests in Kurdistan, according to Deutsche-Welles. The protests erupted on Saturday, when Amini was buried at her home, leading several residents to smash windows, followed by police making multiple arrests. Iran’s president promised a full investigation into the incident.
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Musk has continued to expand Starlink’s accessibility in recent weeks. The billionaire announced a partnership with T-Mobile in August to make the network available to users in the United States and also hinted at discussions between SpaceX and Apple regarding the iPhone 14’s satellite connectivity.
Musk has also used Starlink to provide internet in at-risk countries like Ukraine.
