Iran shuts down internet, alleges Israel cyberattack

Iran’s authorities cut off nearly all internet access on Tuesday, blocking Meta platforms and banning Starlink terminals as Israel continued its bombardment.

Two global internet monitors, Kentinc and NetBlocks, told NBC News that traffic plunged at about 5:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The abrupt cut left many Iranians struggling to send messages, browse news sites or post updates beyond Iran’s borders, the firms said.

Iran’s communications minister said the slowdown was a deliberate government measure, not the result of damaged cables or power cuts. Spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said leaders limited access to counter what they described as Israeli cyberattacks against Iran’s digital infrastructure.

Iran has shut down or slowed the internet during protests in the past. For example, in November 2019, it cut off all access for six days while security forces broke up protests across the country, a crackdown that left more than 100 people dead.

After Israel’s strikes on Iran last week, the government had already slowed connections but stopped short of a full shutdown.

Reports suggest that services like virtual private networks were hit hardest by the cutbacks. Many Iranians rely on VPNs to reach news outlets, social media and other foreign sites blocked inside the country.

Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at the Miaan Group, told NBC News that certain Western apps stopped working. He said WhatsApp, Instagram, the Apple App Store and Google Play Store were among those blocked inside Iran.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said its parent, Meta, has been locked in a “cat-and-mouse game” with Iran as officials target the company’s internet links.

Meanwhile, Iran’s own National Information Network, a closed loop of government-approved sites, stayed online for most users.

Data from Cloudflare, an internet services firm, showed on Tuesday that two of the country’s leading mobile carriers were effectively cut off from global networks, further isolating users who rely on phones for calls and data.

Some people online urged Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service to step in. Musk wrote on X last Friday, “The beams are on,” hinting that Starlink could help Iranians bypass the blackout.

Iran’s authorities have banned Starlink terminals, and the state-run Saed News Agency warned that using them might guide Israeli strikes.

Holistic Resilience, a nonprofit that supports internet access in closed societies, estimates that 30,000 to 40,000 Starlink dishes are already in Iran, based on network scans and conversations with local distributors.

Iran alleges broad Israeli cyber offensive

On Tuesday, Iran’s National Cybersecurity Command accused Israel of a wide cyberwarfare campaign to disrupt public services, but it did not say which systems were hit. Shargh Daily reported that the cyber police agency, known as FATA, said the government had imposed disruptions after the attacks and would restore normal service soon.

A hacker group calling itself Predatory Sparrow claimed on X and Telegram to have launched a destructive cyberattack on Bank Sepah, a national bank under U.S. sanctions for ties to Iran’s military.

As a result, some ATMs failed on Tuesday, a local source said. The group’s membership and any links to official agencies remain unknown.