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2h ago

Iran’s Internet Stays Largely Offline as U.S.-Israel Strikes Pair With Cyber Operations

Independent monitors report a state-imposed blackout has kept nationwide connectivity near 1–4% for more than 48 hours.

Figurines with computers are seen in front of U.S. and Iran flags in this illustration taken, September 10, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Image
A smoke plume rises following a missile strike on a building in Tehran on March 1, 2026. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and top military leaders, prompting authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and US bases across the Gulf. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
A veiled Iranian woman holds her cellphone displaying a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Overview

  • Network data from NetBlocks, Cloudflare and Kentik show national traffic collapsing early Saturday and stabilizing at near-zero levels, with limited allowlisted routes preserving some official access.
  • Coordinated hacks hit multiple Iranian news sites and the BadeSaba prayer app, which pushed messages urging security forces to surrender; no group has claimed responsibility and analysts say attribution remains unclear.
  • Kentik’s Doug Madory reported sharp drops at 07:06 and 11:47 GMT on February 28, consistent with previous regime-enforced shutdowns used to control information flows and impede coordination.
  • Cybersecurity firms including CrowdStrike, Sophos and Flashpoint report rising activity from Iranian-aligned actors and hacktivists, warning of reconnaissance, DDoS and possible wiper operations against regional and international targets.
  • The prolonged blackout and cyber disruptions have created an information vacuum for civilians, raised operational risks for businesses and infrastructure, and are expected to fuel decentralized cyber retaliation.