Internet blackout in Iran enters third day

Internet access in Iran has been nearly completely cut off for over 36 hours amid escalating military tensions with Israel and accusations of the country’s telecommunications infrastructure being used for military purposes.

According to NetBlocks, a UK-based watchdog organization that monitors cybersecurity and the governance of the internet, connectivity levels in Iran dropped to extremely low levels compared to normal rates.

The organization noted that only a limited number of users have been able to access the internet using censorship circumvention tools such as VPNs.

Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said, via the official IRNA news agency, that the temporary internet restrictions are due to the exceptional circumstances facing the country and Israel’s alleged use of communication networks for military purposes.

Authorities also warned citizens against using WhatsApp and Instagram, accusing Israel of exploiting user data to target sites within Iran.