Iran is facing one of the longest internet shutdowns in modern history, plunging the country into a digital blackout amid escalating tensions with Israel and the United States. While most people panic when internet connectivity drops for even a few minutes, Iran has remained largely offline for over a month as joint US-Israel military operations target Tehran. According to the international internet monitoring group NetBlocks, the blackout reached its 37th consecutive day (864 hours) on Sunday, April 5, setting a new global record for prolonged national internet restrictions.
NetBlocks highlighted that the shutdown, which began on February 28, has surpassed previous long-term internet blocks in Myanmar, Sudan, and Kashmir. Iran is now the first modern, technologically connected nation to disconnect from the global internet and operate on a strictly national network. While countries like North Korea have historically remained isolated from international networks, Iran’s complete offline status in today’s digital age is unprecedented and raises serious concerns.
The blackout coincides with heightened military conflict in the region. Over the past five weeks, US and Israeli forces have conducted missile and drone strikes in Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran on Israeli targets and American installations in neighboring countries. In response, the Iranian government imposed strict internet restrictions to control information, allowing only a limited “whitelisted” network for government-approved users while cutting ordinary citizens off from global connectivity. Satellite internet and VPN services are also under heavy regulation, leaving the public without essential communication tools.
The prolonged shutdown has had severe humanitarian impacts. Families are unable to contact one another, creating significant distress during the ongoing conflict. While it is common for infrastructure to be disrupted during war, no other country, including Ukraine or Gaza, has completely gone offline during hostilities. NetBlocks has expressed concern over the impact on civilians, highlighting the extreme difficulties faced by Iranians during this unprecedented digital blackout.
International organizations are calling for the immediate removal of restrictions, but the Iranian government has not responded officially. With no clear end to the war in sight, Iranian citizens continue to live under digital darkness, unable to access global information or communicate freely. The situation has become a serious humanitarian and information crisis, illustrating the broader consequences of modern warfare on civilian access to communication technologies.