An internet disruption enacted by the Iranian government has entered its seventh day, putting it among the longest on record, according to NetBlocks.
The blackout is not limited to internet access. Mobile phone service and text messages have also been cut as the Iranian government seeks to mitigate the effect of protests.
"Iran has now entered the seventh day of a near-total telecoms blackout, with the incident passing the 144-hour mark," NetBlocks, a digital governance and connectivity tracker, posted on X.
"The disruption ranks among the longest on record and continues to isolate over 90 million Iranians from the outside world."
Widespread protests have rocked Iran for weeks, and activists say thousands have been killed amid a government crackdown. Social media has played a major role in earlier nationwide protests, and the government quickly moved to shut down internet access to contain their spread.
There has been speculation that Elon Musk’s Starlink service has been activated over Iran, but that was coupled with allegations that the Iranian government had managed to jam the low-earth orbit signal.
In June, when Iran cut internet services throughout the country amid an exchange of military strikes with Israel, Mr Musk announced that he had activated Starlink
"The beams are on," he wrote on X at the time.
When Iran was hit by similar nationwide protests in 2022, the Tesla tycoon also activated Starlink. But turning on Starlink is no solution for the millions of Iranians without internet access.
Those wishing to use Starlink, or similar low-earth orbit services, must have consoles that can connect to satellites. Those devices are not legal in Iran, and are probably few and far between.
Mr Musk's social media platform, X, has also entered the fray by changing Iran's flag to its pre-revolution iteration.
NetBlocks has said that, based on previous internet cuts around the world, the most probable mode of communications is through radio or trying to connect with mobile phone towers near borders with other countries.
Mohammed Soliman, a technology analyst and senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said the government's control of telecoms in Iran make it easier to quickly and thoroughly limit internet access.
"It's like they have this master switch they can just flip," he told The National shortly after Iran cut access last Friday.
Meanwhile, Iran's regime is also trying to counter people outside the country who it says are inciting demonstrations.
Iranian bots are focusing on critics in the diaspora with a phishing campaign, despite the internet shutdown in the country, campaigners have claimed.
Nariman Gharib, who investigates the cyber attacks and spying operations of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, wrote on social media that "the current attack specifically targets WhatsApp users. Do not click on suspicious links”.
