17.06.2025 23:54
Iran experienced a near-total internet blackout on Tuesday, a move attributed by the government to counter alleged Israeli cyberattacks. The disruption, observed by global internet monitoring organizations Kentinc and NetBlocks, saw a significant drop in internet traffic around 5:30 p.m. local time. This abrupt shutdown left numerous Iranian citizens unable to access global news sources, social media platforms, and communicate beyond the country's borders.
Contrary to speculation of infrastructure damage, Iran's communications minister explicitly stated the internet restrictions were a deliberate government action. Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson, explained the decision as a preemptive measure against what Iranian authorities characterized as sophisticated Israeli cyberattacks targeting their digital infrastructure. This isn't the first instance of Iran restricting internet access during periods of unrest; a complete shutdown lasting six days in November 2019, coinciding with widespread protests, resulted in significant casualties. While previous Israeli strikes prompted internet slowdowns, this marked the first complete shutdown following recent military actions.
The impact disproportionately affected virtual private networks (VPNs), frequently used by Iranians to circumvent government censorship and access blocked websites and apps. Amir Rashidi, from the Miaan Group, highlighted the inaccessibility of major Western apps, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and app stores like Apple's and Google's, within Iran. A WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed Meta's ongoing struggle to maintain connectivity in the face of Iranian government attempts to disrupt their services. In contrast, Iran's domestic, government-controlled National Information Network remained largely operational. Cloudflare's data corroborated the widespread disruption, further illustrating the extent of the internet blackout. The Iranian government's actions underscore its ongoing efforts to control information flow within the country.
