‘We know nothing’: Internet blackout puts Iranians in dark amid US-Israeli bombings

As war spreads across West Asia, the Iranian government has cut off its citizens from the internet, rights groups have said that the blackout increases the risk of worsening the human toll of the war. Reportedly, Iranians are enduring the US and Israeli bombardment in the dark, with no information about where the strikes have happened, which medical facilities were affected, and where the next wave of attacks is about to happen.

The civilians were more at risk as state media broadcasts provide limited information about airstrikes, with most civilians having no knowledge of evacuation orders from countries attacking Iran.

“Information barely gets through,” an Iranian, who couldbriefly connect via VPNs or Starlink terminals, told the Guardian. “If there’s no internet, we know absolutely nothing. Not about other cities, not even about what’s happening a few streets away.”

“There’s this belief going around that this time only military bases are being targeted, not residential areas,” the person added. “I honestly don’t know how true that is. I doubt it.”

The near-complete internet shutdown came hours after the US and Israeli forces began attacks on Iran on Saturday (Feb 28). Internet freedom monitor NetBlocks on Thursday (Mar 5) said that Iran’s internet traffic was “around 1 per cent of ordinary levels”.

This comes after the US and Israeli military launched strikes on Iran on Saturday (Feb 28), killing Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei and several other top Iranian officials. The operation was named ‘Epic Fury’ by the US and ‘Lion’s Roar’ by Israel. The attacks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and ongoing talks over Iran’s nuclear program. In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Israel and US military bases in the region, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.

Khamenei’s death was confirmed on March 1, with Iran vowing strong revenge over the killing of its supreme leader and warning that US bases in the region would be treated as American territory. Gulf states have cautioned against further escalation, even as Washington and Tel Aviv signal that operations could continue for weeks.

As the conflict escalates, Iran-aligned groups have joined the fight. International leaders have called for de-escalation as some condemned the US-led action, while most NATO allies voiced support for Washington.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.