Iran's internet blackout leaves public in dark and creates an uneven picture of the war with Israel

Representative AI image
As the war between Israel and Iran hits the one-week mark, Iranians have spent nearly half of the conflict in a near-communication blackout, unable to connect not only with the outside world but also with their neighbors and loved ones across the country.
Civilians are left unaware of when and where Israel will strike next, despite Israeli forces issuing warnings through their Persian-language online channels. When the missiles land, disconnected phone and web services mean not knowing for hours or days if their family or friends are among the victims. That's left many scrambling on various social media apps to see what's happening - again, only a glimpse of life able to reach the internet in a nation of over 80 million people.
Activists see it as a form of psychological warfare for a nation all-too familiar with state information controls and targeted internet shutdowns during protests and unrest.
"The Iranian regime controls the information sphere really, really tightly," Marwa Fatafta, the Berlin-based policy and advocacy director for digital rights group Access Now, said in an interview with The Associated Press. "We know why the Iranian regime shuts down.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
It wants to control information. So their goal is quite clear."
War with Israel tightens information space But this time, it's happening during a deadly conflict that erupted on June 13 with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based group called Human Rights Activists.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli military estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's multitiered air defenses, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds others wounded. Guidance from Israeli authorities, as well as round-the-clock news broadcasts, flows freely and consistently to Israeli citizens, creating in the last seven days an uneven picture of the death and destruction brought by the war.
The Iranian government contended Friday that it was Israel who was "waging a war on truth and human conscience." In a post on X, a social media platform blocked for many of its citizens, Iran's Foreign Ministry asserted Israel banned foreign media from covering missile strikes.
The statement added that Iran would organize "global press tours to expose Israel's war crimes" in the country. Iran is one of the world's top jailer of journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and in the best of times, reporters face strict restrictions.
Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org reported on Friday that Iran had been disconnected from the global internet for 36 hours, with its live metrics showing that national connectivity remained at only a few percentage points of normal levels. The group said a handful of users have been able to maintain connectivity through virtual private networks.
Few avenues exist to get information Those lucky few have become lifelines for Iranians left in the dark.
In recent days, those who have gained access to mobile internet for a limited time describe using that fleeting opportunity to make calls on behalf of others, checking in on elderly parents and grandparents, and locating those who have fled Tehran.
The only access to information Iranians do have is limited to websites in the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, Iran's state-run television and radio stations offer irregular updates on what's happening inside the country, instead focusing their time on the damage wrought by their strikes on Israel.
The lack of information going in or out of Iran is stunning, considering that the advancement of technology in recent decades has only brought far-flung conflicts in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and elsewhere directly to a person's phone anywhere in the world.
That direct line has been seen by experts as a powerful tool to shift public opinion about any ongoing conflict and potentially force the international community to take a side.
It has also turned into real action from world leaders under public and online pressure to act or use their power to bring an end to the fighting.
But Mehdi Yahyanejad, a key figure in promoting internet freedom in Iran, said that the Islamic Republic is seeking to "purport an image" of strength, one that depicts only the narrative that Israel is being destroyed by sophisticated Iranian weapons that include ballistic missiles with multiple warheads.
"I think most likely they're just afraid of the internet getting used to cause mass unrest in the next phase of whatever is happening," Yahayanejad said. "I mean, some of it could be, of course, planned by the Israelis through their agents on the ground, and some of this could be just a spontaneous unrest by the population once they figure out that the Iranian government is badly weakened.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Hans India

16 minutes ago

• Hans India

TTD refutes Bhumana's allegations on temple practices

Tirupati: Reacting sharply to allegations made by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) former chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy on Friday, the TTD issued a firm denial, stating that his accusations were completely false and lacked any factual basis. In a strongly worded statement, the TTD condemned Karunakar Reddy;s remarks, terming them as an unjustified attempt to tarnish the reputation of the revered religious institution. Addressing allegations related to Vedic traditions, the TTD clarified that far from diminishing the role of Vedic recitation in the temple, the institution has, over the past year, taken multiple steps to enhance and stabilise these practices. 'It is completely untrue to say that there is any attempt to undermine generations of Vedic recitation,' the statement read. The TTD highlighted that the divine chant 'Om Namo Venkatesaya' has been prominently broadcast across the temple premises, including footpaths, queue lines, and service areas. Countering claims that temple priests were not being treated with respect, the TTD reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of priests and Vedic students, stating that several initiatives were underway to enhance their physical and mental wellbeing. Responding to accusations about notices issued to various religious mutts in Tirumala, the TTD clarified that such actions were purely in line with court directives. Specific notices were served only to those institutions, including Visakha Sharada Peetham, that had encroached upon land beyond their allotted areas. The TTD further pointed to reforms undertaken over the past year aimed at streamlining darshan services and enhancing the pilgrim experience. These included scientific queue management, the addition of 22 food counters, and the distribution of free Annaprasadam, beverages, and snacks. Notably, the institution is also working towards implementing Artificial Intelligence-based darshan management systems. On the issue of transparency, especially following the 2023 Parakamani scandal, the TTD emphasised that a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) and an armoured security system were now in place to restore trust. Under this everyone entering Parakamani will have to undergo security checks and thorough scrutiny. 'With over 90 per cent of devotees expressing satisfaction through multiple feedback channels, it is inappropriate for a former Chairman to level false charges,' the TTD said, urging public figures to verify facts before making allegations.

Time of India

19 minutes ago

• Time of India

Kolkata HC stays Didi's relief to SSC staff sacked by SC

Mamata Banerjee KOLKATA: Calcutta HC Friday stayed till Sept 26 WB govt's interim relief for Group-C and Group-D employees of state-run schools who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court order on April 3. The state had announced monthly interim relief of Rs 25,000 for Group-C employees and Rs 20,000 for Group-D staff. Another section of candidates, who were waitlisted, moved HC for a stay on the scheme, arguing it "frustrated" the SC order. Justice Amrita Sinha held that the people whose jobs were terminated by the SC order could not be provided such support after the apex court had decided the issue of illegal appointments conclusively and opined that the appointments were a result of "fraud". Getting refund of money already disbursed to the beneficiaries would be a problem if the scheme was found to be in violation of law after the final hearing on a state review petition, she reasoned. HC also took note of the fact that the state welfare scheme was announced for a particular group who would not be doing any work. "Paying persons gratuitously, who are not serving the state but are either sitting at home or are engaged elsewhere, does not appeal to the court," Justice Sinha held. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pennsylvania: These Walk In Tubs Are Cheap (See Prices) Walk In Tub Discounts Learn More Undo HC stressed that the state had applied a "pick and choose" method for determining the beneficiaries of the welfare scheme. "There are two sets of candidates. One set comprises appointed candidates whose jobs were terminated and the other waitlisted candidates. Both sets are jobless now," Justice Sinha said, holding that the scheme for a particular group "intended to provide succour to the tainted terminated candidates". Justice Sinha acknowledged the state's legislative competence to draft a welfare scheme but said it should apply equally. "Whether it is proper for the state to create a class of favoured candidates out of a bigger class of unemployed candidates is a matter to be decided after hearing (all) parties."

The Hindu

20 minutes ago

• The Hindu

Israel-Iran conflict LIVE: Trump says two weeks is ‘maximum' for Iran decision

Israel and Iran traded strikes a week into their war on Friday (June 20, 2025) as President Donald Trump weighed U.S. military involvement and key European ministers met with Iran's top diplomat in Geneva in a scramble to de-escalate the conflict. But the first face-to-face meeting between Western and Iranian officials in the weeklong war concluded after four hours with no sign of an immediate breakthrough. To give diplomacy a chance, Mr. Trump said he would put off deciding for up to two weeks whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran. U.S. participation would most likely involve strikes against Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility, considered to be out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Whether or not the U.S. joins, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue 'for as long as it takes' to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, Tehran is ready to 'consider diplomacy' again only once Israel's 'aggression is stopped', Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said following talks in Geneva with his European counterparts on Iran's nuclear programme.