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Iran Welcomes Starlink Internet, But Providers Must Accept Country's Laws: Minister

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran welcomes satellite internet technologies, including Starlink, but providers must accept the country's regulations, Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Issa Zarepour said on Wednesday.
Sputnik
"We welcome satellite internet, including Starlink, but they must accept the rules," Zarepour told reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet session, as quoted in a ministry press release.
There are about 3,000 Iranian villages not linked to the internet, and they will benefit from Starlink's arrival, the minister said.
On Monday, Elon Musk, the chief of Starlink's producer company, SpaceX, said the number of Starlink satellite internet terminals in Iran was approaching the 100 landmark.
Musk Says Number of Starlink Devices in Iran Approaching 100
According to media reports in October, the White House and Musk allegedly negotiated the supply of internet service to Iran as a way of supporting mass protests in the country.
Public demonstrations began across Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September, allegedly at the hands of the country's so-called Morality Police for improperly wearing of a hijab. The Iranian authorities claim Amini died of a heart attack.
The Iranian authorities believe the unrest has been instigated from abroad. Iranian law enforcement agencies have been carrying out mass arrests of people recruited by the intelligence services of Western countries, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
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