Iran curbs internet access to ward off Israel’s cyberattacks

Internet access in Iran has been severely disrupted as tensions with Israel escalate and spill into cyberspace.

Iranian government officials confirmed on Tuesday that the internet curbs were intentional and described them as a measure to “maintain network stability” amid alleged Israeli cyberattacks. Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said the restrictions were “temporary, targeted, and controlled.”

Network data from internet watchdogs NetBlocks and Cloudflare Radar confirmed a sharp drop in internet connectivity. Later on Wednesday, NetBlocks described it as a “near-total internet blackout.”