Iran's Longest Internet Blackout Since Arab Spring Leaves Iranians in Dark

Iran's internet blackout, which began shortly after the first US-Israel strikes in late February, is now the longest national-scale shutdown since the Arab Spring, according to internet monitor reports. Iranian authorities cut all access to the internet on 28 February, the day the war started, after an earlier shutdown in January during nationwide protests. This current blackout has lasted more than 38 days, leaving many Iranians with limited information about the ongoing conflict.

The extended internet outage is part of the Iranian regime's efforts to control the flow of information and censor coverage of the war. By restricting internet access, the authorities aim to restrict the ability of Iranians to communicate, share updates, and organize. This tactic was similarly employed during the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East in the early 2010s.

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Experts say the blackout is the longest national-scale shutdown Iran has imposed since the Arab Spring protests, when the government shut down the internet for several days to disrupt communication and coverage of the unrest. The current blackout is even more severe, as it has essentially isolated Iran from the global internet for over a month.