Speaking at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, Bennett said the initiative was launched during his premiership between 2021 and 2022 and involved efforts to acquire and secretly transfer tens of thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran.

Bennett said the objective was to provide protesters with an alternative communications network capable of functioning during government-imposed internet blackouts and to strengthen opposition movements challenging Iran’s ruling establishment.

“I initiated a process of acquiring and smuggling into Iran tens of thousands of Starlink receptors that would allow continuity of the Internet and social networks,” Bennett said.

Starlink, a satellite internet service operated by the U.S. aerospace company SpaceX, provides broadband connectivity through a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites. The service is not officially licensed in Iran, although SpaceX founder Elon Musk has previously stated that Starlink services are active within the country.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly accused Israel and the United States of facilitating unauthorized satellite internet access to undermine national security and support dissent.

Bennett said the operation was intended to create a communications infrastructure that could be used during periods of civil unrest. He criticized the current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for failing to continue the initiative after he left office.

“Unfortunately, the current incompetent Israeli government stopped doing that,” Bennett said. “And when the protest happened, that infrastructure was not there.”

Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment on Bennett’s remarks. SpaceX was not immediately available for comment outside normal U.S. business hours.

Iran has periodically restricted internet access during episodes of political unrest and security crises. Authorities imposed extensive communications restrictions during nationwide protests earlier this year and throughout the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States that began in February.

Satellite-based communication systems have become increasingly important for activists and civilians in regions where governments restrict access to digital networks. Previous reports indicated that some Iranians relied on Starlink connectivity during internet shutdowns.

Bennett, who leads a right-wing political party and is considered a potential challenger to Netanyahu in Israel’s next national election, also outlined a broader strategy for confronting Iran if he returns to office.

He said Israel should continue efforts to weaken the Iranian government through measures including economic pressure, industrial disruption and other forms of non-military action aimed at undermining Tehran’s capabilities and influence.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran following months of military confrontation, diplomatic negotiations and regional security concerns that have reshaped Middle Eastern geopolitics.

The shutdown, described by analysts as the longest in the country’s history, has severely limited access to foreign websites, messaging apps and social media platforms, while selected domestic services remain operational.

Iranian officials say the measures are necessary to counter espionage and cyber threats during the conflict. Critics, however, argue the restrictions are creating a two-tiered internet system that favors approved professionals and regime-linked figures.

Since April, doctors, lawyers and some business owners have reportedly gained broader online access through a program known as “Internet Pro,” while ordinary citizens increasingly rely on costly VPNs or illegal Starlink terminals to stay connected.

Rights advocates and analysts say the blackout has intensified economic hardship for freelancers and online businesses already struggling under sanctions and rising living costs.

Following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the U.S. on Tuesday, Musk said he was keen to launch Starlink in India which “can be incredibly helpful” in remote villages that have no internet or lack high-speed services.

What he didn’t talk about is how Starlink is at odds with Ambani’s Reliance (RELI.NS) over the government’s distribution of satellite broadband spectrum, setting the stage for a battle between two of the world’s richest men for satellite services in the world’s most populous nation.

Starlink is lobbying India to not auction the spectrum but just assign licences in line with a global trend, saying it is a natural resource that should be shared by companies. An auction may impose geographical restrictions that will raise costs, it said in company letters made public by the Indian government this month.

Reliance disagrees and has called for an auction in a public submission to the government, saying foreign satellite service providers could offer voice and data services and compete with traditional telecom players, and so there must be an auction to achieve a level playing field.

In signs of deepening rivalry, an industry source with direct knowledge said Reliance will continue nudging the Indian government to auction satellite spectrum, and not agree to the demands of foreign companies.

The stakes are high for Musk. His push comes after a 2021 attempt to launch Starlink in India ran afoul of local regulators for taking bookings without a license, and just as he is in talks with India to set up a Tesla factory.

For Ambani, keeping foreign competition at bay in satellite broadband will be another shot in the arm – his Reliance Jio already has 439 million telecom users, making it the market leader, and 8 million wired broadband connections, a 25% market share.

Starlink’s view on auctions is shared by Amazon’s (AMZN.O) satellite internet initiative, Project Kuiper, and the British government-backed OneWeb.

Amazon declined comment. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, OneWeb and Starlink parent SpaceX, did not respond.

Asked for comment, Reliance referred Reuters to its own and Starlink’s government submissions.

Auction VS Licensing

Of the 64 responses from companies, industry groups and others to India’s public consultation on satellite spectrum, 48 favoured licensing, 12 voted for an auction, with the rest neutral, according to India’s Koan Advisory.

A second industry source said Reliance believes opening the floodgates to established foreign players like Starlink without an auction will allow them “runaway success” just like Amazon, which will hurt Indian firms and create an uneven playing field.

Ambani’s Reliance Retail has locked horns with Amazon, but lags the U.S. rival in market share in the e-commerce space.

Deloitte says India’s satellite broadband service market will grow 36% a year to reach $1.9 billion by 2030.

Starlink says it is already authorised in 84 administrations around the world and has 1.5 million active users of its low-latency broadband services. Amazon plans to launch its first set of satellites in 2024.

Foreign satellite internet firms are concerned an auction by India will raise the likelihood of other nations following suit, increasing costs and investments, said one of the sources, an Indian adviser to a foreign company.

If India decides on holding an auction, OneWeb will find it difficult to do business in the country, said an industry source. Starlink is waiting for clarity on India’s spectrum allocation before firming up its commercial strategy, another source said.

Tim Farrar, an analyst at US-based consultancy TMF Associates, said it would set a “bad precedent” for Starlink to pay a substantial auction amount in India when it is obtaining low-cost licenses in many other countries.

“I’d expect Starlink to make high-profile free offers elsewhere in order to try and demonstrate what India could be missing out on,” he said.