Iran’s Internet Blackout Reaches Day 20, Longest Recorded in a Connected Nation

Overview

• NetBlocks reports the nationwide shutdown hit its 20th day on Thursday with external connectivity below one percent, calling it the longest sustained nation-scale blackout in a highly connected society.
• Authorities have activated a domestic intranet and granted whitelist access for select outlets and figures, leaving only thousands or low tens of thousands with intermittent international reach.
• Iranian intelligence says it has located and confiscated hundreds of banned Starlink terminals, warning that possession and use are criminal offenses carrying severe penalties during wartime.
• Security and law enforcement officials say they have arrested people accused of selling VPNs and other bypass tools, while users report receiving texts warning that their connections to the global internet are being monitored.
• Iranians are resorting to contraband Starlink and bespoke VPN configurations sold on Telegram using tools such as OpenVPN and V2Ray, with access described as unstable, expensive and vulnerable to scams as prices surge.