Iran Arrests Man Accused of Running Starlink Internet Network

 A man leaves a subway train past an image of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP)
A man leaves a subway train past an image of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP)
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Iran Arrests Man Accused of Running Starlink Internet Network

 A man leaves a subway train past an image of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP)
A man leaves a subway train past an image of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP)

Iranian authorities have arrested a man accused of leading a network that sold access to the internet via Starlink terminals, a technology that is banned in Iran, the ISNA news agency reported on Friday.

Iran has been digitally sealed off from the rest of the world by a complete internet blackout since the start of the Middle East war.

To get around those restrictions, some Iranians have turned to Starlink terminals from the US company SpaceX, which connect to the internet via satellites.

Doing so is a criminal offence in Iran punishable with prison time.

"A 37-year-old man, who had put in place a network in several provinces of the country to sell access to the unrestricted internet via Starlink, has been arrested" in Shiraz, ISNA reported, citing a deputy police commander for Fars province.

It did not say when the arrest took place.

Iranians were previously placed under an 18-day internet blackout in January, the longest so far, amid anti-government protests during which thousands were killed.

At the time, the authorities managed to disrupt the operation of Starlink terminals.

Under Iranian law, people found guilty of "the use, transportation, purchase or sale of electronic internet communication devices such as Starlink" used to access banned content can be jailed for up to two years in prison.



New Attacks Complicate Talks to End Iran War, EU’s Kallas Says

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas arrives at the NATO Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, Türkiye , 07 July 2026. (EPA)
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas arrives at the NATO Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, Türkiye , 07 July 2026. (EPA)
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New Attacks Complicate Talks to End Iran War, EU’s Kallas Says

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas arrives at the NATO Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, Türkiye , 07 July 2026. (EPA)
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas arrives at the NATO Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, Türkiye , 07 July 2026. (EPA)

The new attacks by Iran and the United States in the Middle East have complicated talks to end the war, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday.

"The exchanges of ‌fire between ‌the US and ‌Iran ⁠further complicate already fraught ⁠talks to end the war. Iran's attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait are unacceptable," Kallas said in a post on ⁠X.

"Next Monday, EU Foreign ‌Ministers ‌will meet with their ‌Gulf counterparts to discuss how ‌we can work together to support the implementation of the agreement and preserve freedom ‌of navigation in the Strait as well as ⁠the ⁠Red Sea."

The US military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday and revoked a license allowing Iran to sell oil after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump said an interim agreement to end the ‌war with ‌Iran was "over" on Wednesday after ‌Tehran ⁠carried out new attacks.

Asked before a NATO summit in Türkiye ⁠whether the ⁠memorandum of understanding reached last month was over, Trump said: "It's a very interesting question. To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them."⁠


New US Attacks on Iran Were Absolutely Necessary, NATO Chief Says

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks upon arrival at the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, 08 July 2026. (EPA)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks upon arrival at the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, 08 July 2026. (EPA)
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New US Attacks on Iran Were Absolutely Necessary, NATO Chief Says

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks upon arrival at the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, 08 July 2026. (EPA)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks upon arrival at the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, 08 July 2026. (EPA)

The new attacks by the US on Iran were "absolutely necessary," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.

The US military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday and revoked a license allowing Tehran to sell oil after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait ‌of Hormuz, putting pressure ‌on an already fragile ‌ceasefire.

"When ⁠you have a ⁠ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully react," Rutte told reporters before a summit of NATO leaders in Ankara.

At their summit, European ⁠leaders aim to convince Donald Trump ‌to re-commit ‌to the military alliance, after the US president revived ‌his disputes with them over the ‌Iran war and Greenland.

Rutte said there could be no doubt over the "complete commitment of the United States to NATO," which he said ‌also works to protect the United States.

"But there's also the expectation ⁠that ⁠the Europeans and the Canadians will equalize their spending with the United States, which I think is completely fair," he added.

"The good news is that this is the big win today. It's the loss for Putin, it is a win for President Trump that the Europeans and the Canadians are doing exactly that."


Trump Says Ceasefire with Iran is 'Over' but Negotiations Can Continue

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
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Trump Says Ceasefire with Iran is 'Over' but Negotiations Can Continue

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the interim agreement with Iran is “over” but he will allow talks to continue.

“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump responded when asked about the status of ceasefire. “It’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”

He made the comment on the sidelines of the two-day NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, and hours after striking Iran in what the US described as retaliation for strikes on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump added that US representatives can continue negotiations but he cast doubt on the outcome. “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” he said.