The shutdown of the internet and telecommunications in Iran has been ongoing since Thursday. Shahram Akbarzadeh, a professor of Middle East and Central Asian politics at Australia's Deakin University, says the shutdown is an attempt to quell the nationwide protests.
It is intended to prevent protesters from coordinating, to stop news from spreading to the outside world, and to prevent protesters from being inspired by ideas from outside, he says.
Uses brute force
With the country in a communications blackout, security forces may try to suppress the protests with violence. Human rights organization Amnesty warns that the blackout is a way to hide abuses.
The regime is trying to deal with the crisis using brute force, Akbarzadeh says.
Iran also carried out similar shutdowns in 2019 and 2022–2023. But this time it is more extensive, according to UK-based Amin Sabeti, a cybersecurity expert on Iran.
"I would say this is the most extreme case in the history of the Iranian regime," he says.
This time, unlike in the past, even state media and propaganda outlets have not updated their platforms, he said. It is impossible to call into the country, mobile phones have no coverage, and messaging services are inaccessible.
It's like the Stone Age, because the majority of modern telecommunications systems are down.
Don't expect a change of power
Information continues to leak out, including via the smuggled American satellite internet system Starlink. But only a small portion of the population has access to it, and Iranian authorities are trying to jam the signals.
They can't disrupt the whole country; it's more local, Sabeti says.
Both experts believe the lockdown could continue. Although this will lead to major disruptions, this is secondary to the need to quell the protesters. Akbarzadeh does not believe the protests will lead to the fall of the regime.
"Anything is possible, but I don't see it as likely. The protests can't go on forever, and there is no alternative that can replace the Islamic rule in the country at the moment."
