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Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday that Israel had smuggled Starlink internet receivers into Iran to help anti-government protesters, but accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of failing to follow through on the plan.
Bennett, who served as prime minister from 2021 to 2022, made the remarks during the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem.
He 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."
Starlink, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, provides satellite internet connections.
Iran has previously accused Israel and the United States of smuggling the devices into the country to undermine its security.
Starlink is not licensed to operate in Iran, but Musk has previously said the service is active there.
Bennett said the Starlink receivers were intended to allow protesters in Iran to coordinate and ultimately topple the Iranian government.
"Unfortunately, the current incompetent Israeli government stopped doing that," Bennett said.
"And when the protest happened, that infrastructure was not there," he added.
Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to questions about Bennett's remarks.
Iranian authorities have shut down public access to the internet during periods of unrest.
Those restrictions included deadly nationwide protests in January and the period throughout the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran, which began at the end of February.
Reuters has previously reported that some Iranians turned to Starlink during internet blackouts.
Bennett, leader of a right-wing party, is one of several opposition politicians seeking to replace Netanyahu in an election due by October.
He said that if he returned to office, he would work to undermine Iran's government with the aim of toppling it.
Bennett said that could include measures short of direct military attacks, such as economic and industrial sabotage.
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