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Russia and Iran Accuse Elon Musk’s Starlink of Violating International Law at a UN Conference
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian and Iranian representatives at a United Nations conference on the peaceful use of outer space accused Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network of violating international law and erasing the distinction between civilian and military technologies, according to Bloomberg on February 10.
Moscow’s delegation argued the system could breach provisions of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which requires space actors to consider the interests of others operating beyond Earth.
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Russian officials said that massive satellite constellations controlled by private companies are “hardly in line with the interest of the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and use of outer space,” and called for international negotiations to limit the deployment of new satellites and clarify rules governing the military use of commercially registered satellite frequencies.
Iranian representatives added that the “illegal operation” of Starlink inside the country violates national sovereignty, describing the network as an “unauthorized military use of a commercial satellite mega-constellation.”
Tehran has previously raised similar concerns with the International Telecommunication Union, arguing that telecommunications services not approved by national governments breach international regulations.
SpaceX operates a Starlink constellation of roughly 9,600 satellites.
Despite repeated claims from Moscow, Russia was never authorized to use Starlink for military purposes. Any access obtained by Russian forces relied on illicit procurement networks and terminals activated outside approved jurisdictions. That ambiguity came to a head in early February, when terminals linked to Russian military units were shut down following coordination between SpaceX and Ukrainian authorities.
In Iran, Starlink remains officially banned, yet an estimated 50,000 terminals have been smuggled into the country in recent years. During protests in January, demonstrators relied on the satellite network to maintain communications after authorities restricted internet access, the agency reported.
At the protests, as many as 30,000 people may have been killed during the suppression on January 8–9, 2026.
Earlier, reports emerged that Iran may have tested Russian-made electronic warfare systems to disrupt Starlink satellite internet access during recent protests.
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