Iran has entered its fifth consecutive day of a complete nationwide internet blackout, with digital rights monitor Netblocks confirming the disruption has surpassed 108 hours as of Tuesday. The unprecedented telecommunications shutdown has effectively severed Iran’s population of over 87 million people from global digital networks and internal communication channels.
According to Netblocks’ latest assessment via social media platform X, the comprehensive internet blackout has left Iranian citizens completely isolated from international connectivity and from each other. Digital activists and human rights organizations express grave concerns that the extended communications blackout serves as a deliberate measure to conceal the government’s aggressive suppression of widespread civil protests.
The prolonged disruption represents one of the most severe digital censorship measures implemented by Iranian authorities in recent years, exceeding previous intermittent shutdowns during periods of civil unrest. Internet monitoring organizations report near-total disruption across mobile data networks, broadband services, and even virtual private networks (VPNs) that citizens typically use to bypass government restrictions.
This extended digital isolation occurs amid reports of significant public demonstrations across multiple Iranian provinces. The complete information blackout prevents independent verification of events on the ground, including potential casualties, arrests, or the scale of military and security force deployments. International human rights watchdogs have condemned the shutdown as a violation of fundamental rights to information and communication.
The Iranian government has historically implemented temporary internet restrictions during periods of social unrest, though rarely maintaining them for such an extended duration. Telecommunications experts note that sustained nationwide blackouts require sophisticated technical capabilities and represent significant economic costs, estimated at millions of dollars in daily economic losses across various sectors.