Internet connectivity across Iran collapsed on Thursday as nationwide protests intensified, according to multiple web monitoring and infrastructure firms.
“I think we’re at a near-total disconnection from the outside world now,” said Amir Rashidi, an Iranian cybersecurity researcher with the nonprofit Miaan Group,
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Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at traffic monitoring firm Kentik, confirmed the disruption, saying Iran has been in a “near-total blackout” since about 11:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time, which corresponds to 8 p.m. local time in Tehran.
Data from several monitoring organizations, including NetBlocks, Cloudflare, and internet tracking platform IODA, all showed a sharp and simultaneous drop in internet traffic across the country. Cloudflare’s head of data insight, David Belson, said only minimal traffic remained, adding that Iran was “effectively completely offline.”
The blackout comes amid widespread protests that began late last month after a steep decline in Iran’s currency value triggered shortages of basic goods and dramatic price increases. According to The New York Times, parts of Tehran’s historic bazaar have remained closed for more than 11 days.
Iran’s government has responded to the demonstrations with a violent crackdown. Rashidi said the state, which tightly controls internet access nationwide, is responsible for the shutdown.
Iranian government representatives in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website was inaccessible at the time of publication.
