Iran faces near-total internet blackout amid Israeli attacks

The internet observatory NetBlocks, on June 18th, reported a near-total internet blackout across Iran, amid ongoing Israeli military attacks, according to The New Arab.

Citing live network data, NetBlocks confirmed major connectivity disruptions nationwide, with internet activity reduced to just 3%.

Israel’s offensive, which began on June 13th, has so far claimed at least 639 lives, forcing tens of thousands to flee Tehran and other cities. The internet shutdown has been attributed both to the damage caused by Israeli strikes and to deliberate restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities, who accused Israel of exploiting the country’s digital infrastructure for military purposes. The outage has also affected mobile phone providers.

NetBlocks described the current blackout as the most severe incident since the November 2019 protests, when nationwide anti-government demonstrations were met with heavy internet restrictions. Crucially, the disruption severely limits the public’s ability to access vital information during a crisis.

Among the affected services is the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the country’s official news outlet. Its website has become largely inaccessible, displaying error messages to most users. Citing the Iranian Ministry of Communications, the Iranian news agency Khabar recently confirmed on Telegram that international internet access had been “temporarily restricted to prevent enemy abuse.”

Authorities have reportedly instructed citizens to disable internet-connected devices and delete WhatsApp, citing concerns over cyberattacks.

The blackout coincided with a peak in hostilities. Notably, US President Donald Trump urged Tehran’s residents to evacuate the city — a city of over 10 million people — further contributing to the atmosphere of uncertainty.

As the country faces growing instability, the internet shutdown has left millions of Iranians disconnected from the outside world, unable to access timely information or contact loved ones. 

The New Arab, Maghrebi.org, Khabar