Iran is currently disconnecting from the global internet in order to combat cyber threats, amidst rising tensions with Israel. This follows a series of disruptions to internet access across the country, which began on Tuesday with massive outages and disruptions reported by citizens. According to NetBlocks, internet traffic from Iran dropped sharply around 5.30 PM local time, and Cloudflare confirmed that two major mobile carriers went offline temporarily.
An Iranian government spokesperson stated that these restrictions are meant to protect civilians from the ongoing cyberattacks and are only temporary and targeted, The Verge reported. This follows reports that indicated a rise in blackouts and restricted access to digital services, such as VPNs and messaging apps. The civilians have also complained about the difficulties they are facing while using Telegram and WhatsApp. On the other hand, Iranian government claims that WhatsApp is currently being used for surveillance and has urged its citizens to remove the app.
Also read: OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT image generation tool to WhatsApp: Here’s how you can use it
The internet shutdown occurs amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran. According to reports, the latest round of military and cyber hostilities between Iran and Israel has escalated following an Israeli strike on June 12. The reports added that the Iranian state continues to provide access to the national internet system. However, it may be reduced by up to 80%. The restrictions have also raised questions about communication and information.
According to cybersecurity firm Radware, cyberattacks on Israeli systems have increased by 700 percent since June 12, with the majority of the activity attributed to Iranian state-backed hacking groups. The reports also hinted at possible consequences beyond these countries, such as attacks on US infrastructure, if the conflict broadens.