Iran internet blackout has lasted two weeks – Monitor

The nationwide internet shutdown imposed by Iranian authorities, which activists fear is aimed at concealing the true scale of a violent crackdown on protests, has now lasted more than two weeks, according to internet monitoring group Netblocks.
 

“Iran has now been under a national internet blackout for two full weeks,” Netblocks said in a post on X.
 

Although there have been reports in recent days of some users briefly regaining access, the monitor said connectivity remains severely restricted and largely limited to government-approved websites and traffic.
 

“At hour 336, connectivity levels continue to flatline with only a slight rise at the backbone supplying regime-whitelisted networks,” Netblocks said, adding that only a small number of users have managed to “tunnel to the outside world,” without specifying the tools involved.
 

Iranian authorities on Wednesday released their first official death toll from the protests, stating that 3,117 people were killed during the demonstrations. The figure was announced by Iran’s foundation for martyrs and veterans, which distinguished between those it described as “martyrs” — members of security forces or innocent bystanders — and individuals labelled as “rioters” allegedly backed by the United States.

Of the total number, the authorities claimed that 2,427 were “martyrs.”
 

However, rights groups dispute the official account, alleging that security forces fired directly at protesters and arguing that the actual death toll could be significantly higher, potentially exceeding 20,000.
 

Human rights organisations have repeatedly warned that the internet shutdown has obstructed documentation efforts and helped obscure the full extent of the crackdown.
 

The blackout began on the evening of January 8, when mass protests erupted across several major cities, posing one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s clerical leadership in years.