Iran internet blackout deepens amid war

PARIS, March 6 — Iran’s internet connectivity remains at roughly 1% of normal levels more than five days after authorities shut down access following U.S. and Israeli air strikes, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said on Thursday, leaving much of the country struggling to access outside information or communicate with the wider world.

Iranian authorities cut internet access on Saturday after the start of the conflict involving the United States and Israel, triggering a nationwide disruption that has severely limited communication inside and outside the country.In a message posted on the social media platform X, NetBlocks said the blackout had exceeded 120 hours, with connectivity “still flatlining around 1 percent of ordinary levels.”connectivity nearly haltedThe prolonged shutdown has left many Iranians unable to make international calls or reliably connect online. Calls from overseas to Iranian mobile phones or landlines have become nearly impossible, according to residents contacted through intermittent messaging.Some users report brief windows during the day when limited connectivity allows them to send text messages, though voice messages and calls frequently fail to transmit.“The internet speed is very slow,” a resident in Tehran said in a message, requesting anonymity for security reasons. “You can’t call and voice messages don’t get delivered. We can just text.”NetBlocks said telecommunications companies in Iran had begun sending warnings to users attempting to connect to the global internet, threatening possible legal action.residents seek alternative accessWith regular connections largely unavailable, some Iranians have turned to alternative technologies to maintain limited communication.

According to residents, some users have attempted to access the internet through unauthorised subscriptions to satellite-based services such as Starlink, though availability and connectivity remain inconsistent.A resident in Bukan in western Iran described the connection as unreliable and extremely slow.“The internet situation here is abysmal,” the resident said in a message. “It connects and disconnects. The connection is slow, so the VPNs don’t work.”restrictions compound existing controlsEven before the current shutdown, many Iranians relied on virtual private networks to bypass restrictions on foreign social media platforms.Services such as Instagram are typically restricted in Iran, prompting widespread use of VPNs under normal conditions.With internet access severely curtailed, some residents who are able to connect briefly have been sharing updates with friends and family who remain cut off.Shima, a 33-year-old resident of Tehran, said she had been sending messages to friends describing conditions in the capital as waves of missile and bombing strikes hit the city during the ongoing conflict.