The Trump administration has denied fomenting public unrest in Iran, but the operation shows it has provided covert support to antiregime efforts

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration covertly sent thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran after the regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrations last month, U.S. officials said, an effort to keep dissidents online following Tehran’s stifling of internet access.

After Iranian authorities smothered mounting unrest in January by killing thousands of protesters and severely cutting internet connectivity, the U.S. smuggled roughly 6,000 of the satellite-internet kits into the country, the first time the U.S. has directly sent Starlink into Iran.

Read More: U.S. Smuggled Thousands of Starlink Terminals Into Iran After Protest Crackdown