Iranian authorities cut access to internet on 28 February leaving many with limited information about war
Iran’s internet shutdown, which began shortly after the first US-Israel strikes in late February, is now the longest national-scale blackout since the Arab spring, monitors have said.
Iranian authorities cut all access to the internet on 28 February, the day the war began, after an earlier shutdown in January during nationwide protests. This current blackout has lasted more than 38 days.
Its severity means many in Iran, beyond their own experiences, are receiving limited information about the war compared with others in the region. “When I speak with people inside Iran, they often are not aware of the full scale of the destruction and other developments,” said Amir Rashidi, director of Miaan Group, an Iran-focused human rights organisation.
“Their only sources are Iranian state television and one satellite channel. They do not have access to major news sources, and both of these outlets report the news according to their own agendas. As a result, Iranians are unaware of many details, or even of the news itself.”
