NetBlocks: Internet Outage in Iran Enters Its Fifth Day

The internet monitoring network NetBlocks announced on Monday at 8 PM Tehran time that the internet outage in Iran and complete digital blackout has entered its fifth day, severely limiting the ability to gather information about protests and crackdowns. According to the NetBlocks report, the internet in Iran has been completely cut off for 96 hours prior to the release of this report, and this severe communication restriction has significantly reduced the capacity of the people and media to inform about the status of protests and casualties. NetBlocks reported on Saturday that this restriction, in addition to the internet, includes landlines, mobile data, and telephone calls, and other communication tools have gradually become targets of restrictions as well. NetBlocks has warned that this severe internet blackout not only limits independent and transparent reporting on the suppression of protesters and casualties but also affects the accountability of government forces regarding their violent actions against the people. This widespread internet outage continues while millions of Iranians are in the streets of various cities seeking freedom, and many users abroad continue to use social media to inform about the situation inside Iran. Meanwhile, some media outlets have reported that for the first time, the Islamic Republic has disrupted access to Starlink satellite internet using jamming military equipment; an action that analysts have described as a "game changer" in the context of the internet blackout in Iran. According to Forbes magazine, this disruption has occurred while the nationwide internet blackout in Iran continues. Data shows that initially about 30% of Starlink's inbound and outbound traffic was disrupted, and within a few hours, this figure rose to over 80%.