Internet blackout is tool of desperate regime to isolate Iranians, say experts

"It's about control and it's about even possibly slowing down the demise [of the regime], said researchers at Project Ainita and the Outline Foundation, who focus on internet infrastructure and providing solutions against digital censorship. Because if all of a sudden you give in, and you give everybody connection and access to everybody else, then they could very easily come together and finish the job, so to speak."

"Iran first fully shut down its internet on 8 January, weeks into escalating anti-government protests over the price of currency. That full shutdown lasted nearly three weeks, until the government appeared to relax but not fully end restrictions on internet access on 28 January. It enabled Iran's authorities to partly conceal a bloody crackdown on Iranian protesters that is estimated to have killed tens of thousands of people."

"The latest blackout was almost as total as January's shutdown, said the researchers, who work on Iran's digital censorship and internet infrastructure. Mobile phones appear to be working inside the country but, apart from that, all of Iran's connection to the outside world has been extinguished. Those without access to Starlink or alternative ways to communicate are cut off."

Following military strikes on Iran, the country experienced a severe internet blackout approximately four hours later. While some infrastructure damage from strikes may have caused minor outages affecting fibre optic cables and power systems, the blackout was predominantly an intentional government action. Iranian authorities deliberately shut down internet access to prevent citizens from coordinating opposition activities and to conceal military responses. This mirrors Iran's previous full internet shutdown in January, which lasted nearly three weeks during anti-government protests and enabled authorities to suppress information about a violent crackdown. The current blackout is nearly as comprehensive, cutting off most external communications while mobile phones remain partially functional. Only those with access to alternative systems like Starlink maintain connectivity.

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