Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday that Israel had secretly smuggled Starlink internet receivers into Iran to support anti-government protesters, but claimed the initiative was not fully pursued by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
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Speaking at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, Bennett said he had 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 the devices were intended to help protesters communicate and organize, with the ultimate goal of challenging and potentially bringing down the Iranian government.
"Unfortunately, the current incompetent Israeli government stopped doing that," he said, as cited by Reuters.
"And when the protest happened, that infrastructure was not there."
Bennett, who leads a right-wing party and is among several opposition figures seeking to unseat Netanyahu in elections due by October, said that if he returns to power he would pursue efforts to weaken Iran's government with the goal of bringing about its downfall.
He said such efforts could include measures short of direct military action, including economic pressure and industrial sabotage.
Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, is not licensed to operate in Iran, although Elon Musk has previously said the network is active in the country.
Tehran has long accused Israel and the United States of smuggling Starlink devices into Iran to undermine its security.
Last year, Iran enacted legislation imposing prison sentences of up to two years for the use, purchase or sale of Starlink terminals, while importing or distributing more than 10 devices can carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
