The Trump administration secretly sent thousands of Starlink satellite internet terminals into Iran after a violent government crackdown on protests and widespread internet shutdowns, according to US officials.

About 6,000 terminals were smuggled into Iran following unrest in January, during which Iranian authorities reportedly killed thousands of demonstrators and imposed strict limits on internet access, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Wall Street Journal.

The operation marked the first time Washington directly delivered Starlink equipment into the country.

Officials said the US State Department had purchased nearly 7,000 terminals in the months leading up to the operation - most of them in January - with the aim of helping anti-government activists circumvent internet blackouts.

Some of the funding for the devices was reportedly redirected from other internet freedom initiatives.

President Donald Trump was aware of the shipments, officials said, though it remains unclear whether he personally approved the operation or if authorization came from another official.

Possessing a Starlink terminal is illegal in Iran and can lead to a two-year prison sentence.

Tens of thousands of Iranians own the terminals despite the risks, analysts and activists said.

Users pay about $2,000 (£1,467) for devices taken into the country by smugglers from Iraqi Kurdistan, The Telegraph understands.

Some neighbourhoods share a single connection among 40 homes.

During the protests, Iranian security forces raided buildings searching for the equipment, which users hide on rooftops.

The US government’s Starlink purchase followed internal administration debates about internet access programmes for Iran.

Senior officials pushed for Starlink over virtual private networks (VPNs).