Netanyahu Presents Starlink Terminal to Iran at UN Assembly

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a Starlink satellite terminal during his address to the 81st U.N. General Assembly, describing the device as a tool for truth and freedom of speech that the Iranian regime fears. Netanyahu stated he would leave the terminal with the United Nations for the Iranian delegation to use upon their eventual defection.

Following the speech, Israeli envoy Danny Danon attempted to hand-deliver the terminal to an Iranian diplomat, urging them to take the device to Tehran to help the Iranian people gain freedom. The diplomat did not accept the device and avoided eye contact.

During the same address, Netanyahu displayed a pager to reference a 2024 covert sabotage operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, in which booby-trapped communication devices killed dozens and injured thousands. He used the device to taunt Hezbollah and criticized international figures, calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a "tyrant" and accusing Qatar of attempting to "brainwash" young Americans.

The speech triggered protests and a walkout by scores of delegates following a call from the Palestinian mission. Netanyahu responded by labeling those who departed "moral cowards." The event occurred as Israeli forces continue to occupy parts of southern Lebanon following a June ceasefire.