Iran’s Internet Blackout Hits 35th Day as Citizens Risk Their Lives Reaching Out

The almost complete blockade of digital connectivity that the Iranian regime has imposed since the conflict against the U.S.-Israel coalition began has already reached over 810 hours. Citizens who try to get through the blockade cracks face punishment or even death.

While drones and missiles are the main characters in the conflict between the Iranian regime and the U.S.-Israel coalition, there’s a digital war waging in the shadows since the hostilities started, involving Iranian citizens trying to maintain their connection to the world.

According to Netblocks, an internet observatory, the digital blockade affecting the Iranian population has reached its 35th day, cutting the country’s network connectivity to only 1%.

“The internet blackout in Iran is now on its 35th consecutive day as connectivity flatlines at 1% of ordinary levels after 816 hours. The general public remain cut off from the world without vital updates and without a voice as the incident closes its fifth week.”

Iranian citizens have been employing several techniques to slip through the cracks of the regime’s digital wall, which, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, was established for security reasons to “protect the people.” Reports state that some virtual private networks (VPNs) can still be used to reach outside the National Information Network (NIN), Iran’s own digital intranet. Tor, through its Snowflake feature, can also be leveraged to break the blockade.

Starlink devices, which have been illegal for quite some time, with their usage punishable by death according to the law, are still available, even as the Iranian regime is also using jamming strategies to affect the satellite links provided by these terminals.

Only white-listed influencers and regime officials can reach outer networks freely, and this situation is expected to continue as long as the conflict endures.