Iran confiscates NSA equipment intended to stage riot

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Oct 2023 22:26
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Iranian security services apprehend five individuals preparing to stage a riot using US Starlink satellite equipment provided by the US National Security Agency.

Iranian police officers stand guard during a protest against Sweden in front of the Swedish Embassy in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 21, 2023 (AP)

Iranian security services have successfully intercepted communications and Starlink satellite equipment aimed at inciting unrest in southeastern Iran.

According to the Fars news agency, the confiscated equipment, believed to be linked to the US National Security Agency (NSA), was intended to be used to ignite riots in Zahedan, the capital city of Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province.

The report suggests that the NSA dispatched the equipment in late September in preparation for purported riots scheduled for September 30. However, the Iranian security services detected the cargo and apprehended five individuals connected to the plot.

Sistan and Baluchestan province, situated on the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, has often been a scene for unrest. Many border guards have died in the region combatting drug trafficking and terrorism.

The widespread poverty in the region has made it susceptible to anti-government protests and terrorist activities, particularly in urban areas and mosques.

Read: Mahsa Amini's father breaks silence: Protest "not for our sake"

Last month, Israeli media reported that "the authorities in Iran succeeded in damping down the wave of protests, as there is a very clear decline in their size and strength," noting that "the US efforts have not worked."

MidEast analyst for Channel 2 Ehud Yaari said, "Unfortunately, the authorities in Iran succeeded in quelling the wave of protests in Iranian cities, which included attacks against government centers and attacks with Molotov cocktails against the Basij forces who were dispersing the protests."

"The Americans are making efforts to activate the internet after the Iranian authorities imposed an internet blackout to disrupt social networks, but this did not help, and we see a very clear decline in the size and strength of the protests," he added.

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that some social networking sites took an active role in directing the riots and igniting the fires, adding that many elements of the riots were the result of training received using these sites.

Vahidi then went on to announce that the ministry decided to put temporary restrictions on social networking sites to "maintain security and the safety of the people."