Iranian authorities have pledged to keep up their crackdown on Starlink and have hinted at fresh restrictions on the global internet as the war with the United States and Israel drags on.

Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, secretary of the Supreme National Cyberspace Council, described the satellite service as a tool used by Iran’s enemies for command and control, espionage and information gathering.

Aghamiri said Iran has several systems for cutting off Starlink terminals, though he did not say what they are. He said one of them was used during the January protests, and that Tehran is prepared to share the technology with aligned countries.

Earlier this month, he also warned that Starlink could be treated as a legitimate military target if it is used as an instrument of war.

Starlink is banned in Iran on national security grounds, and the penalties are heavy. Using or possessing a terminal carries a baseline sentence of six months to two years in prison, while importing or distributing the devices can bring up to five years. Cases linked to espionage or national security charges can carry the death penalty.

The stakes are high for ordinary Iranians, who have already lived through two long state-imposed shutdowns of the global internet this year: three weeks during nationwide protests in January, and 88 days at the start of the current war. Because Starlink bypasses Tehran’s filtering system, it has helped some people share protest footage and other information with audiences abroad.

A Tehran-based internet and telecommunications expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said authorities use a mix of methods to interfere with Starlink connections and can spot Starlink-linked internet protocols when users connect to local apps and services.

The expert warned that if the trend continues, the authorities may be forced to cut electricity in the next crisis, since Starlink does not depend on Iran’s own network.

Officials say further restrictions are possible if the fighting escalates. Violence had eased somewhat after the June memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, but that deal lapsed without a permanent ceasefire.