Iran’s internet blackout stretches to nearly 900hrs

The internet service has been shut in Iran for nearly 900 hours as the US-Israel-Iran war prolonged, said an independent internet monitoring organization NetBlocks.

Iran’s internet blackout is now the longest nation-scale internet shutdown on record in any country, exceeding all other comparable incidents in severity having entered its 37th consecutive day after 864 hours.

Earlier, in a post on its X (formerly Twitter) account, the organization wrote: “Now in its 35th consecutive day, connectivity remains at 1% of ordinary levels after 816 hours. The general public remains cut off from the world, without essential updates and without a voice, as the incident enters its fifth week.”

Amid the nationwide blackout, Iranian authorities have limited access to the global internet mainly to government officials and affiliates. Earlier, a government spokesperson had said that “White SIM cards” would be provided to individuals capable of “conveying the people’s voice.” However, since the third week of the war between the U.S./Israel and the Islamic Republic, many of these “white lines” have also been disconnected, leaving only a small group of figures close to the leadership with access to the open internet.

The internet shutdown during wartime, when citizens rely more heavily on security and health-related updates, has created significant challenges for users across Iran.