Iran internet briefly restored after 444-hour blackout, then cut again

ISTANBUL

Iran’s internet was briefly restored after 444 hours of near-total blackout before going dark again, global internet watchdog NetBlocks reported Wednesday.

NetBlocks said some users temporarily regained access due to an “apparent filtering system glitch,” but the connection was not sustained. The outage marks Iran’s second-longest internet shutdown on record.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the blackout was a deliberate security measure.

“The internet is closed because of security reasons, we are under attack, we are under aggression, and we have to do everything to protect our people,” he told CBS News, comparing it to wartime measures.

The blackout came amid the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began Feb. 28, which have reportedly killed around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

ISTANBUL

Iran’s internet was briefly restored after 444 hours of near-total blackout before going dark again, global internet watchdog NetBlocks reported Wednesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the blackout was a deliberate security measure.

The blackout came amid the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began Feb. 28, which have reportedly killed around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.