The disruption comes as Iran’s government executed a sweeping communications blackout just after 8 p.m. last Thursday, severing internet access and telephone connections across the country and effectively isolating its 85 million citizens from the outside world.
The shutdown follows a pattern previously used during periods of unrest and conflict, aimed at preventing the flow of information to the global Iranian diaspora and international media.
Until this week, many Iranians had continued to access blocked apps and websites using virtual private networks, despite strict sanctions related to Tehran’s nuclear program.
Thursday’s decision dramatically narrowed those channels, sharply limiting the ability of protesters to share images and eyewitness accounts of nationwide demonstrations sparked by Iran’s worsening economic conditions — protests now widely viewed as the most serious challenge to the government in years.
The timing has heightened concerns that the blackout could provide cover for a violent crackdown, particularly after warnings from the Trump administration regarding consequences tied to further deaths among demonstrators.
As the country went dark, anxiety surged among Iranians abroad, many of whom were suddenly unable to reach family members. Cybersecurity expert Azam Jangravi, based in Toronto, described widespread distress across the diaspora as communications collapsed.
“You can’t understand our feelings. My brothers, my cousins, they will go on the street. You can’t imagine the anxiety of the Iranian diaspora,” Jangravi said.
“I couldn’t work yesterday. I had meetings but I postponed them because I couldn’t focus. I was thinking of my family and friends.” he said.
Fears intensified after Iran’s attorney general warned that anyone participating in protests would be considered an “enemy of God,” a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law.
Satellite internet has historically served as a last-resort communications channel during Iranian shutdowns, particularly through Starlink, despite the service never being authorised by Tehran and remaining illegal to possess.
During earlier protests — including demonstrations following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini — Starlink played a critical role in transmitting footage and reports out of the country.
Its footprint has since grown. An Iranian official estimated last year that tens of thousands of Starlink receivers were in use inside the Islamic Republic, a figure internet freedom advocates say is plausible.
Many terminals are believed to be used by business owners and professionals maintaining overseas connections, while others are now being used to document protests.
Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at the Miaan Group, said monitoring since Thursday shows approximately 30% packet loss on Starlink connections nationwide, with losses reaching 80% in some areas — levels that render the service largely unusable.
“I believe the Iranian government is doing something beyond GPS jamming, like in Ukraine, where Russia tried to jam Starlink,” Rashidi said.
Iran has been disrupting GPS signals since its brief conflict with Israel last year, likely to reduce the effectiveness of drones.
Starlink terminals rely on GPS for satellite alignment, making them vulnerable to such interference. Rashidi suggested Tehran may also be deploying mobile jamming units similar to those previously used to disrupt satellite television broadcasts.
The International Telecommunication Union has previously urged Iran to halt satellite jamming, while Iranian authorities have simultaneously lobbied the UN agency to block Starlink services to the country.
Despite the risks, Starlink appears to be the primary remaining channel through which information is leaving Iran, a reality that places users in extreme danger.
“It’s really hard to use it because if they arrest a person, they can execute the person and say this person is working for Israel or the United States,” Jangravi said.
Not using it, however, risks plunging the country into near-total informational silence at a pivotal moment. Internet freedom activist Mehdi Yahyanejad warned that without external visibility, the protests could falter under mounting repression.
“This sort of nonviolent protest is not sustainable when the violence by security forces is so extreme,” Yahyanejad said. “Unless something changes in the next two or three days, these protests can die down, too. If there’s any help, it needs to come soon.”
This marks the third major nationwide internet shutdown imposed by Iran in recent years. In 2019, protests over fuel price increases were followed by a blackout and a crackdown that reportedly killed more than 300 people.
In 2022, demonstrations after Mahsa Amini’s death led to a month-long shutdown and more than 500 deaths.
As communications collapse once again, experts warn that control of connectivity has become one of the Iranian state’s most powerful tools — and that the world may soon know far less about what is unfolding inside the country.
