Senior officials in the Tehran regime have issued a formal, binding directive to immediately cut off access to the international internet in the event of a new war breaking out. The order stipulates that at the start of any new military conflict, users in the country must be immediately disconnected from the global internet, according to reports in Iranian media.
2+According to the reports, the directive was transmitted via an official letter from senior officials, defining the disconnection of international internet as a mandatory measure to be executed in case of war. However, no additional details were provided about when the order was issued, the exact scope of the restrictions, which services might be exempted, or how internet access would be restored after the conflict ends.
The preparation for an internet blackout comes after Iranian citizens experienced several periods of severe restrictions on network access over the past year, including during the war with Israel, during anti-regime protests, and during additional military confrontations with Israel and the United States.
Nearly Three Months Without Internet: Iran’s Previous Blackouts
During Operation “Rising Lion” in June 2025, widespread disruptions to internet connectivity in the country began on June 13. Five days later, on June 18, Iran’s connectivity level dropped to near-total blackout.
The nationwide shutdown lasted approximately 11 days and 22 hours, with restoration of network connection continuing until June 25. However, this was not a complete blackout of all users throughout the entire period.
2+Another wave of blackouts occurred after Israel and the United States began strikes in Operation “Roaring Lion.” With the outbreak of the conflict, the country was almost completely disconnected from the international internet, and the restrictions continued even after the fighting ended.
Iran remained almost completely disconnected from the global network for approximately 88 days—more than 2,000 hours total. Internet monitoring organization NetBlocks described the event as the longest nationwide internet shutdown ever documented in any country.
2+Now, against the backdrop of a possible new military conflict, the Iranian regime appears to be preparing in advance for the possibility of shutting down access to the global network as soon as fighting begins.