Iran internet disrupted as country imposes restrictions
There has been significant decline in internet traffic within Iran as a result of temporary restrictions issued by the country's Ministry of Information and Communications following Israeli strikes, according to NetBlocks, which tracks cyber security and digital governance around the world.
It is not yet clear how severe the restrictions will be and what impact they will have.
"We inform the honourable people of Iran that, in view of the country's special conditions and with the measures of the competent authorities, temporary restrictions have been imposed on the country's internet," a message from the ministry read.
On Thursday evening, the ministry indicated that the limits would be lifted once the situation returns to normal.
Since the announcement of the restrictions, data from NetBlocks showed internet traffic in Iran dropping by almost 50 per cent.
Virtual internet service providers within the country, which rely on ISPs outside Iran, have also been affected.
Internet disruptions imposed by the government in Iran are not unusual.
It's not clear if low-earth-orbit satellite based internet services like Starlink, which have been blocked by Iran in past, are usable.
Mr Musk was allowed to activate Starlink over Iran during the 2022 nationwide protests, amid the Iranian government's severe internet restrictions.
Starlink's current service map shows Iran as being blacked out, meaning that the service is not officially available, though there are workarounds that have been used in the past.
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