Iranian "reporter": Russia and China helped Iran shut down Starlink

Iranian "reporter" Pouria Zarvati claimed on a social media account owned by Elon Musk that specialists from China and Russia helped shut down Starlink in Iran. These claims were immediately picked up by the Western and, interestingly, Ukrainian press. Of course, no evidence is provided.

The report states that in order to shut down the Starlink satellite internet service, “Russia provided Iran with equipment and China with technical instructions.”

Ukrainian press:

Before these events, the general belief was that satellites in low Earth orbit were immune to interference and that Starlink signals were protected because they constantly change frequencies and move. This assertion has now come under significant criticism.

The reference is to China's alleged cyber exercises against Taiwan. It is claimed that China allegedly conducted "special tests" to disable Starlink in Taiwan about two months ago:

We are talking about coherent ground interference propagating along Ku-band frequencies.

It is reported that there are approximately 50 Starlink terminals in Iran, 40 of which are paralyzed.

Iran itself hasn't commented on these kinds of publications. The publications themselves seem more like an attempt to preemptively justify the very person Israel and the US were counting on to launch the armed uprising in Iran. They say, if it weren't for Russia and China, we would have definitely succeeded. And then comes the classic:

Now we need even more sanctions!

Comments

[Alec]

Oh, these Russia and China! They're trying to take Greenland away from Trump, and then they're shutting down Starlink in Iran. They're having fun.

[Terenin]

Quote: Alec

Oh, these Russia and China! They're trying to take Greenland away from Trump, and then they're shutting down Starlink in Iran. They're doing whatever they want.

Interestingly If there were no Russia, how would the West live?

[Zoldat_A]

[quote=Terenin][quote=Alek]Interesting If there were no Russia, how would the West live?[/quote]
The most important thing is, who would be "to blame for everything"? Well, not the Martians...

[Terenin]

The most important thing is, who would be "to blame for everything"? Well, not the Martians... [/ Quote]
I'm talking about exactly the same thing They need to protect Russia.

[Infinity]

As for the part about "equipment from Russia, instructions from China," you don't need to read any further. The same goes for jamming over Taiwan. Yes, such a study was conducted in China, but it was theoretical and didn't take into account the island's mountainous terrain or the operation of electronic warfare and air defense systems. And it required the use of at least 1000 large drones, which must be able to reach targets without being shot down, and also have an infinite amount of energy. In short, it's a study in a vacuum.
I wanted to write about the phased array antennas in Starlink terminals and satellites, the huge number of satellites, and that if they jam them, it's localized, in large cities, since it's impossible to do so over all of Iran. But then I saw a great comment from our war correspondent Roman Saponkov, which other channels are actively posting. And for good reason.

[Zoldat_A]

Quote: Terenin

They need to protect Russia.

They would have protected us for the sake of preserving the image of the enemy if they understood anything about Chinese philosophy and had an understanding of Yin and Yang. Or if they had read Engels's materialist dialectic, which formulates the law of the unity and struggle of opposites.
No, they have the memory of a fish in a bowl. It's limited to yesterday's trip to the supermarket for toilet paper.

They don't understand that there is no hot without cold, no black without white, and no good without bad.
Under the Soviet Union, they had smarter analysts—like Brzezinski. Smart, damn, even if he was an enemy. But in the 90s, they decided that the "good guys" could exist without constantly fighting the "bad guys."
And who in the world, besides us, is suitable for the role of "bad guys"? No matter who they try to make into enemies, they all break too quickly...

In the 90s, they, too, were suddenly left without an enemy, without the USSR. At first, they were overjoyed, but before they could be saddened, we, little by little, began to reclaim our "enemy image." Everything gradually returned to normal, and the "good guys" now have someone to fight against—us.

[TOS-NN]

The most important thing is, who would be "to blame for everything"? Well, not the Martians... laughing

That's it! The little green men.
Russia and China have nothing to do with it.
Maybe we should ask Petrov and Bashirov?
Or Baba Yaga? But she's a folkloric element...

[Zoldat_A]

Quote: Zoldat_A

Well, they're not Martians...

Quote: TOS-NN

That's it! The little green men.
Russia and China have nothing to do with it.

- Red is from Mars, and green is from Venus.
- No, red is not from our galaxy...(c)

[Obstacle from the right]

I wonder, winked, if there were no Russia, how would the West live?

It would have been a wonderful life! Africa would still be divided into colonies, and China and India would be periodically bombed and poisoned to keep them from multiplying too much. Besides Russia, no one can stop the chaos in the world...

[g_ae]

The food is fresh, but... it's hard to believe. That would be good if it were true.

[Montezuma]

How can you shut down 40 terminals simultaneously if they're all in different locations? Cover the entire country with a metal dome? Of course, any miracle can happen someday, even a gun hanging on the wall can go off (c) But there's little credibility to such a report. Perhaps there are experts in this field who can substantiate the veracity of this information?

[Zoldat_A]

Quote: Montezuma

there is little faith in such a message

Like in that joke -

- I said, and you, Jews, think...

The main thing is to blurt it out. Whether they'll remember him, this "reporter," tomorrow or not—it doesn't even matter. The main thing is that today the wave has started. They paid for a "hot article," the "news" is being discussed, and it's being quoted. He's caught his "moment of fame."

How many of them appear every day...

Of course, no evidence is provided.

It feels like the "pulling news out of thin air" style is becoming the main source of information in Western media.

[Montezuma]

Quote: Zoldat_A

Whether they will remember him, this “reporter”, tomorrow or not - it doesn’t even matter.

A December publication about Chinese specialists' development of an anti-Starlink system (applicable to Taiwanese territory). It hasn't been tested in practice. Russian work in this area is also mentioned—it's aimed at detecting ground terminals.

Chinese researchers have developed a concept to counter the Starlink satellite system, which is used to control Ukrainian Armed Forces units. The concept involves creating a so-called electromagnetic dome over specific areas.

Military experts estimate that forming such a shield would require between 935 and 2 unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with electronic countermeasures. These drones would create a dense electromagnetic field capable of blocking satellite communications signals.
Russia is simultaneously developing its own means of countering satellite communications. Specifically, these include mobile systems whose purpose is not to directly jam the signal, but to precisely identify the coordinates of active terminals. Once detected, this data can be used to launch strikes or perform targeted jamming with other electronic warfare systems.

https://www.mk.ru/science/2025/12/15/vyyasnilos-chto-v-kitae-predlozhili-nakryt-starlink-bespilotnym-shhitom.html?ysclid=mkbcu3jn3e60084413

[Montezuma]

Incidentally, another question arose: where did the reporter get the precise data on the number of Starlink ground terminals in Iran and information on how many of them are disconnected?

[Zoldat_A]

Quote: Montezuma

Incidentally, another question arose: where did the reporter get the precise data on the number of Starlink ground terminals in Iran and information on how many of them are disconnected?

It's clear where it's coming from. From reliable sources...

Quote: Zoldat_A

"sucking news out of one's finger"

Only "real reporters" don't reveal their sources; it's not customary...

[DO]

Montezuma, a hint on how to jam Starlink is contained in the article:

We are talking about coherent ground interference propagating along Ku-band frequencies.

In simple terms, the Starlink satellite's radio beam is a cone with a base on the ground of at least 24 km:
https://www.comnews.ru/sites/default/files2019/articles/2021-09/varianty-razmerov-yacheek-pri-raznykh-uglakh-vidimosti-isz.jpg
A ground-based jammer can deliver powerful interference in all directions to the receivers of all visible satellites on all Starlink frequencies. This will jam all uplink radio signals from ground terminals to satellites located within a radius of approximately 20 km from the jammer.
To conserve power, the jammer doesn't need to constantly emit interference on each frequency. Given Starlink's packet-based IP protocol, the transmitter can operate in pulse mode, so that each jammer pulse introduces enough errors into each IP packet for the satellite receiver to identify these IP packets as corrupted and erase them. Additionally, the jammer can conserve power by optimally shaping its antenna pattern.
Based on the above, it is easy to calculate the number of jammers on the area of ​​land/water surface where Starlink must be jammed - regardless of the number of terminals located on it.

[Alexey Lantukh]

It is easy to calculate the number of jammers on the area of ​​land/water surface where Starlink must be jammed - regardless of the number of terminals located on it.

It's not necessary to jam Starlink throughout Iran. It's enough to jam it in key cities. Sure, there might be a receiver and repeater in some remote corner of the world, but the local FSB will soon come for it with shackles. Yes, Iran has jammed, it seems, 40 out of 50 terminals.

[DO]

Starlink can be used by rebels not only as a means of communication to coordinate their actions but also to guide enemy drones. To counter drone guidance, it's advisable to jam Starlink over areas where enemy drones are most likely to fly. Naturally, such jammers should be a primary component of electronic warfare (EW) equipment.

[STORM 12]

Well, the Starlink satellites (receiving) fly low above the ground and ---------- receive something incomprehensible

[Alex20042004]

What nonsense. The Russian Armed Forces can't shut down Sarlink in Ukraine, but they can in Iran!?

[Pablo Blade]

Because in Ukraine both sides use Starlink

[helilelik]

Yes, but in Crimea, for example, it would be nice to turn it off. Turn it on when we need it. But that's not the case.

[Vrotkompot]

Specialized equipment can be imported to Iran, but not to Ukraine. Is this a very difficult logic for you?

[DO]

Quote: Alex20042004

The Russian Armed Forces can't turn off Sarlink in Ukraine, but they can in Iran!?

We're talking about permanent jamming here, not just disabling it (see my post above). If powerful jammers are deployed in territory controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they will be detected and destroyed fairly quickly. Therefore, it only makes sense to talk about permanent jamming of Starlink in territory controlled by friendly forces.

[your1970]

Quote: Alex20042004

What nonsense. The Russian Armed Forces can't shut down Sarlink in Ukraine, but they can in Iran!?

And what - the Russian Armed Forces occupy ALL the territory of Ukraine up to the border with Poland???

[Lemon]

Well, some people here suggest that Russia should learn from Iran how to jam Musk's brainchild.

[PVV66]

This is sheer nonsense. It's technically impossible to shut down the entire territory of a country like Iran. To do that, you'd have to shut down Musk's entire constellation of satellites in orbit, and there are currently 8400 of them. So why don't they cover our guys on the front lines? A small patch (like the Kremlin) is possible.

[IGU]

Yes, this is a hoax made up on the fly.
Will VO now comment on all social media posts?

[cpls22]

Quote: PVV66

Technically, it is not possible to close the entire territory of a country like Iran.

Well, there is no need to close the entire territory, it is enough to close the large cities.
Maybe they came up with something to overload the system with the help of false requests for registration of new terminals...

[Nastia makarova]

And who said anything about the entire territory? And who said it doesn't work at all?

[2 Level Advisor]

Quote: Nastia Makarova

And who said anything about the entire territory? And who said it doesn't work at all?

And who even said they jammed it? Ah... some reporter... well then they definitely jammed it.

[rocket757]

Why not... on your own territory, with the necessary equipment, you can turn off anything...
Another matter is how to pull this off on foreign soil... a task from the category where only a CROWBAR will help!!!

[ASG7]

The more complex the communication system, the easier it is to disable it. And don't rely on Starlink; it's a regular communication system with wide coverage.

[Plate]

Quote: ASG7

The more complex the communication system, the easier it is to disable it.

When a system's elements are connected in series, it becomes easier to shut it down as the number increases. But if they are connected in parallel (in a logical sense), and the system can operate without some (or even most) of them, then disabling such a system is quite a challenge.

[ASG7]

If everything parallel never connected, there would be no connection. You're simply looking in the wrong place.

[Mikhail3]

SO you're tempted to cut off Starlink. There's a better way, and if our guys were involved, they would have used it. And the Chinese aren't any worse these days; they could do it too.

[Corvair]

...to shut down Starlink satellite internet, "Russia provided Iran with equipment, and China with technical instructions."

It seems absurd - why doesn't the equipment supplier supply technical instructions with it?

[Alexey Lantukh]

It seems absurd - why doesn't the equipment supplier supply technical instructions with it?

Yes, it's obvious. Both the equipment and the instructions are Chinese. But it's impossible to say that China supplied it. It's possible they supplied it through Russia. No big deal.

[Irek]

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin I personally turned on the switch, it's true, the European media wrote about it.

[Terenin]

Quote: Irek

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin I personally turned on the switch, it's true, the European media wrote about it.

All the nonsense about Russia in Western countries goes down like a crowbar through shit.

[tralflot1832]

Russia supplied Iran with Chinese-language microwave ovens. China sent instructions in Iranian. What's the news?

[Igor Belobrov]

When we read "Ukrainian press" we mean pederastic.

[acetophenone]

What a lie... We can't do it here, but in Iran they turned it off?

[bk316]

We can’t do it here, but in Iran they turned it off?

Why do you think we can't?

[Nastia makarova]

They jam it successfully, the transmission speed drops significantly

[tralflot1832]

But it's impossible to fix Starlink's brains over the Arctic Ocean. They still appear there.

[MrFox]

Complete nonsense. The Starlink terminal creates a beam pattern oriented toward the satellite and has minimal sensitivity to signals emitted from the Earth's surface. The same technology is used on cruise missiles to protect against GPS spoofing.

[ANB]

. has minimal susceptibility to signals emitted from the earth's surface

What if we hang a drone between the terminal and the satellite?

[MrFox]

Then it will work. But it is practically impossible to implement.

[ANB]

But it is not practically feasible.

Why?
Over Ukraine - yes, it’s a bit difficult.
And who's stopping Iran from launching at least a few thousand drones over its territory?

[MrFox]

You need to know where the terminals are located. It's also advisable to know the specific frequencies on which the terminal communicates with the satellite. The drone must have sufficient power to power the jamming source.

In general, this is a task for a well-organized structure. It's unlikely that the IRGC blockheads are capable of it.

[Plate]

Quote: MrFox

You need to know where the terminals are located. It's also advisable to know the specific frequencies on which the terminal communicates with the satellite.

This can be partially resolved by tracking the movements of Starlink satellites. This is easy to organize over one's territory. From just two known points on the satellite, one can roughly reconstruct its orbital parameters. More points provide more precise information. From this, one can at least understand where a Starlink terminal could potentially contact the satellite now, and plan the route of one's aircraft/UAVs accordingly. Predictions on this matter can be made by extrapolating satellite orbits.
Moreover, you can have your own terminals at key positions and use them to check your work and try to determine frequencies. If the machine is right in front of you, then it shouldn't be impossible.

[Terenin]

Quote: MrFox

Complete nonsense. The Starlink terminal creates a beam pattern oriented toward the satellite and has minimal sensitivity to signals emitted from the Earth's surface. The same technology is used on cruise missiles to protect against GPS spoofing.

Your explanations don't align with the Western narrative: "Putin is to blame for everything."

[bk316]

to the satellite and has minimal sensitivity to signals emitted from the earth's surface.

And from the plane?

[MrFox]

If the plane is on the line between the terminal and the satellite, then the option

[STORM 12]

Why bother with the terminal? Sending packets with it is much more interesting.

[acetophenone]

Quote: bk316

We can’t do it here, but in Iran they turned it off?

Why do you think we can't?

Learn the basics, Vladimir.

[mad-max78]

We now need to ask Iranian specialists to turn off Starlink in Ukraine and the Black and Caspian Seas, otherwise drones and boats are scurrying around as if they were at home.

[faterdom]

Of course, with "instructions in Chinese" (I wonder, traditional or which?) any of these satellites will shut up.
And the fact that the particularly zealous arsonists will be quickly hanged tomorrow, that's not it, that is, it's not that, this is not where you belong, in short, if Starlink hadn't been jammed, it would have been easier for them to hang...

[solar]

To shut down the Starlink satellite internet service, Russia provided Iran with equipment and China with technical instructions.

Why then did the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to use Starlinks as they did?

[Zamkadysh]

I read it in one of the comments (By the way, the minuses are not mine )

The antenna from the ground literally scoops up a bucket of satellites flying through its contact patch.

Seeing this phrase, anyone with even a passing understanding of satellite communications technology will be wary. But anyone familiar with the technologies underlying Starlink's operation will simply smile. Advertising is the great engine of "specialist relations." Understand one thing—just believe it: at any given moment, a single Starlink subscriber terminal can only have a single communication session with a single satellite. Quickly switching from one to another—maybe—can't work with two simultaneously. And there's no need to jam thousands of terminals. It's enough to jam from the ground a dozen or so satellites that are in the most advantageous position at that moment over a given area, so that they can't reliably receive signals from the terminals from that area. Satellites fly strictly along a specific route, at a specific time, with specific reception frequencies in the Earth-to-space channel. Therein lies the vulnerability. You don't even need to burn them out; just overload them at the input with a fat little signal. It's not a cheap pleasure, but... and it's not an ordinary case. There's no point in going into detail.

[bbb]

Any radio communication can be jammed. This is roughly how the Kaklyata interfered with satellite communications in 23.

[Metallurg_2]

Exactly: more sanctions. Otherwise, you know, they dared to jam the world's most democratic Starlink!
(Sarcasm, if anyone didn't understand).

[Zaurbek]

What was the management thinking when 50 terminals were imported to Iran?

[musorg]

That's why they do whatever they want, since China and Russia are simply silent. However, London is already ready to seize our ships and claims to have found a way. It was possible to stop this, but now it's too late, and a major war looms.