Iran is currently experiencing a devastating fourth day of an internet shutdown, affecting its population of over 90 million amid intensified conflicts with the U.S. and Israel that have spilled into the cyber arena. Independent internet watchdog NetBlocks reported connectivity at around 1% of normal levels, marking over 72 hours of a near-total blackout. This disruption has been labeled a “regime-imposed” nationwide shutdown, although the Iranian government has yet to issue any official comment.
This blackout appears to be linked to Tehran’s controversial “whitelisting” system, which permits internet access exclusively for government-affiliated groups. Doug Madory, an internet analyst, highlighted this development in a post on X. Historically, Iran has resorted to similar internet interruptions during periods of social unrest. A comparable blackout lasted several weeks in January, coinciding with widespread protests across the nation.
While the immediate cause of the ongoing disruption remains unclear, analysts suggest it likely stems from a combination of state-ordered suppression and external cyber operations. Kathryn Raines, cyber threat intelligence team lead at Flashpoint, emphasized that the Iranian regime frequently employs internet severance during crises to control narratives and conceal internal security measures. Concurrently, U.S. and Israeli cyber initiatives reportedly target telecommunications infrastructure, especially those associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Reports indicate that U.S. and Israeli cyber operatives have executed attacks on Iranian websites and internet infrastructure alongside their military strikes. Notably, these assaults have affected government-aligned Iranian news sites and even led to the compromise of the BadeSaba Calendar app, which boasts over 5 million downloads. This app was reportedly hijacked to send alarming messages urging Iranian armed forces to “give up weapons and join the people,” illustrating a significant breakthrough in cyber and psychological warfare tactics.
The blackout severely hinders citizens’ ability to communicate, document events, and receive real-time updates on the evolving conflict. Cybersecurity experts predict that Iran is likely to retaliate with its own cyberattacks, either through government-directed initiatives or affiliated proxy groups. Adam Meyers, head of counter adversary operations at CrowdStrike, noted that early signs of activity consistent with Iranian-aligned threat actors and hacktivist groups are already emerging, including reconnaissance efforts and initiation of denial-of-service attacks.
Meyers pointed out that such behaviors often precede more aggressive operations, drawing parallels to previous conflicts where Tehran’s cyber actors aligned their actions with strategic objectives targeting energy, critical infrastructure, and telecommunications. Following the onset of recent U.S. strikes, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning that Iranian hackers could conduct low-level cyber attacks against U.S. networks, but ruled out the possibility of a large-scale physical retaliation.
Analysts suggest that, given the disruption of its central command, attacks from Iranian proxy groups are more plausible than a coordinated state response. This situation signifies that cyber operations are now a core component of hybrid warfare tactics. As Raines stated, the aftermath of the ongoing conflict is likely to unfold predominantly in the cyber domain, extending even beyond the cessation of physical hostilities, illustrating the evolving landscape of warfare in the digital age.
Original Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/02/irans-internet-down-amid-reports-of-us-israel-cyberattacks.html
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Publish Date: 2026-03-03 14:04:00
