After US-Israel Attacks, 90 Million Iranians Lose Internet Connectivity

Source: Slashdot

CNN reports that images from Iran’s capital showed cars jammed along Tehran’s streets, with heavy traffic on major roads after today’s wave of attacks by the US and Israel. Although Iran has a population of 93 million, the attacks suddenly plunged the country into a near‑total internet blackout, with national connectivity at roughly 4 % of ordinary levels, according to internet‑monitoring experts at NetBlocks.

Internet Blackout in Iran

• Since Iran’s brutal crackdown earlier this year, the regime has limited international web access to a subset of people with security clearance, experts said.
• After previous internet shutdowns, some platforms never returned. The Iranian government blocked Instagram after the 2022 protests see CNN coverage and blocked the popular messaging app Telegram following the 2018 protests see CNN coverage.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Response

The IAEA announced that it is “closely monitoring developments,” maintaining contact with countries in the region and, so far, seeing no evidence of any radiological impact IAEA tweet. The agency is also urging restraint to avoid any nuclear safety risks to people in the region.