Millions of Iranians have been blocked from the outside world by nearly identical internet closures in Tehran and other cities, and officials say it is a bid to curb cyberattacks after a week of military interaction with Israel.
Iranian banks and television stations have been hacked since Israel launched an attack on Iran last week. Tehran regularly blocks many websites based overseas, but this week it was unable to access sites from a much wider site, including domestic media.
NetBlocks, which monitors internet access worldwide, said “Iran has imposed a nationwide internet shutdown,” which has now continued for more than two days. “Ongoing power outages will affect the citizen’s ability to remain connected at a time when communication is essential,” he said.
The stoppage occurred as Iranians first faced Israeli missile strikes. As the conflict escalated, a large line of people left the capital, but many others chose to stay.
“I’m cut off from the outside world… I didn’t have any money for a few days because the bank was hacked,” said Farzan, 32, a Tehran resident.
Iranians can communicate via landlines and mobile phones. The state’s television channels continued to air, but opposition satellite television stations were also accessible. However, some of the Iranian diaspora struggled to contact their loved ones amid the onslaught of Israel.
Tehran resident Yeganeh received a desperate call from a friend in Toronto late Wednesday, asking parents in the city centre where Israel’s huge strike was being reported.
Smoke rises above Tehran. Iran’s Ministry of Communications said on Wednesday it temporarily restricts internet access ©Khoshiran/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images
“He was very worried. The internet was down and his parents didn’t answer calls all night,” she said.
Parts of Tehran were sympathetic to the restrictions after the Israeli onslaught exposed Iran’s widespread intelligence report penetration, including technology.
“I agree that it’s difficult to manage without the internet,” said Berman, 42. “But as long as the shutdown is for security, we need to accept it. Israel uses the internet to infiltrate systems, track individuals, and identify locations as targets for drone strikes.”
Iran’s communications ministry said on Wednesday that the temporary restrictions on internet access would be to prevent the enemy in order to “use domestic communications networks for military purposes and pose risks to people’s lives and property.”
Public services and news platforms will remain available, he said. However, many websites, including domestic media, were barely accessible. Iranians living abroad were told on Friday to use domestic messaging platforms such as Bale, Rubika, Eita and Solousch to connect with their families.
Authorities have historically imposed restrictions on internet use, but Iranians have easily used virtual private networks to avoid them. These restrictions became stricter during a period of social unrest as authorities attempt to control the narrative.
On Wednesday, the state’s television news channel was temporarily hacked, with on-screen messages urging people to take them to the streets. It aired images from the protest that broke out in 2021 after the death of a woman in custody detained by the country’s infamous moral police.
After a while, the network informed viewers that the “unrelated messages” on the television screen were caused by Israeli cyberattacks.
Headquarters of the Iranian news network located in Tehran’s provincial television compound after being hit by Israeli strike © Morteza Nikoubazl/Nurphoto/Reuters
Another online attack caused disruption on Tuesday in the services of two major banks, Sepa and Pasargado. Iran’s cybersecurity command said on Wednesday it repelled a major hacking attack on the banking network.
It also urged users to take caution while using foreign platforms and software, warning Israel to spy on its citizens through data collection, such as location, audio and video. Fata, a cyber police in Iran, asked its citizens not to open “suspecting or malicious links” sent via text messages or messaging apps.
On Tuesday, Nobitex, one of Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, said it had been hacked and stopped access to all customer. On Thursday, he said the attack was greater than initially thought, and it would take about five days for a full recovery as internet issues slowed down efforts.
Internet restrictions came a day after cyber police told the public that online disruption was the result of a cyberattack and there were no plans to restrict access.
