Apprehending the threat of cyberattacks from the United States and Israel, the Iranian regime has expanded its restrictions on the Internet services. The population remains offline as the internet remains shutacross the country since the outbreak of the war. Only two percent of the 90 million people have global internet access, says reports.
The blackout, which began on the first day of the war in February, remains largely in place even after the ceasefire, underscoring the authorities’ deep concerns over digital security and information control. Iranian officials have justified the sweeping restrictions as necessary measures to “protect cyberspace” from external infiltration and potential cyber warfare.
While limited access to domestic messaging applications and websites has been restored, reports indicate frequent disruptions and system crashes. Access to the global internet remains highly restricted.
At present, only select groups are permitted partial connectivity. These include government officials, pro-establishment users, journalists, academics, and certain business owners whose operations depend on external communication.
For the vast majority of ordinary citizens, however, access to the wider internet remains severely curtailed, deepening the country’s digital isolation even in the aftermath of active hostilities. Israeli intelligence services, including Mossad, reportedly penetrated Iranian mobile phone infrastructure and municipal traffic camera networks. These live feeds were used to track the movements of top leaders, including Ayatollah Khamenei, with high precision before and during kinetic strikes. Coordinated efforts by U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) used “non-kinetic effects” to degrade Iranian communications and sensors. These actions aimed to “blind” Iran’s ability to coordinate a response to airstrikes.
While Iranian officials have cited reasons such as “protecting cyberspace” for restricting online access. But some groups, including affluent people, are paying a lot to stay connected, mainly via connections routed through satellite internet provider Starlink. But there is a total ban on using Starlink as it leads to two years imprisonment. The Iranian authorities have confiscated hundreds of Starlink devices.
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