How News Continues to Emerge from Iran Despite a Near-Total Internet Shutdown

Amid escalating protests across Iran, the government has imposed one of the most severe communication blackouts in the country’s history.

Internet services have been largely suspended, and restrictions now extend to mobile networks, landlines, and international calls. Yet, despite these sweeping measures, reports, images, and videos from inside Iran continue to reach both domestic audiences and the international community.

This has raised a critical question: how is information still flowing out of a country where digital and traditional communication channels have been almost entirely shut down?

Last week, an Iranian doctor managed to speak with the BBC using Starlink satellite internet, reporting that hospitals were overwhelmed with injured protesters and that emergency services were under extreme strain. Starlink, a satellite-based internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has emerged as a key alternative communication channel during the shutdown.

Iranian intelligence agencies have since claimed to have seized large quantities of satellite internet equipment near border regions, alleging that the devices were smuggled into the country for espionage and destabilisation. Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, reported on January 13 that the equipment had entered illegally from neighbouring countries and was intended for distribution in protest-hit areas.

The use of Starlink is illegal in Iran, and its equipment must be smuggled into the country. The crackdown follows the Iranian government’s decision on January 8 to enforce what monitoring groups describe as the most stringent internet shutdown in recent years, triggered by the intensification of nationwide protests.

According to a Bloomberg report, SpaceX has begun providing free Starlink satellite internet access during the blackout. Ahmed Ahmadian, Executive Director of the US-based organisation Holistic Resilience, which works to provide secure internet access to Iranians, stated that Starlink subscription fees have been waived to facilitate connectivity.

Despite these efforts, access remains extremely limited. Iran’s internet connectivity has been disrupted for over 108 consecutive hours, according to NetBlocks, a global internet monitoring organisation. NetBlocks estimates that nationwide connectivity has dropped to around one percent of normal levels.

On January 12, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told foreign ambassadors in Tehran that internet and communication restrictions would remain in place until what he described as the “threat” had been neutralised. The shutdown has reportedly affected all international phone calls to Iran, with many callers encountering automated responses or artificial intelligence-generated voices instead of human operators.

With domestic media outlets severely restricted and some state-affiliated platforms also offline, foreign satellite television channels have become a primary source of information for many Iranians. However, only a small number of citizens are believed to have gained access to Starlink, and reports suggest the service has faced deliberate military interference since January 11.

NetBlocks data shows that the current shutdown began on January 8, following earlier partial restrictions on mobile networks, particularly in protest hotspots such as Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. While fixed-line internet services were initially less affected, connectivity deteriorated further as protests spread to cities including Tabriz, Isfahan, and Mashhad.

Iranians living abroad report being unable to contact family members, reinforcing concerns over the scale and severity of the blackout. The shutdown has disrupted not only internet access but also domestic phone calls, particularly during evening hours when protests tend to intensify.

Analysts note that Iran has previously resorted to internet shutdowns during periods of unrest, including during the 2019 fuel price protests, the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, and the 12-day Iran–Israel conflict in June 2025. However, the current restrictions are widely regarded as more comprehensive than any imposed in the past.

In earlier shutdowns, limited connectivity—often through VPNs or fixed lines—remained available in certain regions. This time, NetBlocks reports no meaningful fluctuations or temporary improvements in connectivity, marking a significant escalation in state control over information flows.

Human rights groups warn that such blackouts severely limit protesters’ ability to organise and prevent the outside world from independently verifying events on the ground. During the 2019 shutdown, details of hundreds of deaths only emerged after internet services were restored.

Despite the current restrictions, disturbing videos and reports have surfaced, including footage allegedly showing large numbers of body bags at a mortuary near Tehran. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) claims that more than 500 protesters have been killed since late December.

Observers caution that the prolonged absence of independent reporting and alternative information sources risks allowing official narratives to dominate unchecked. As the shutdown continues, concerns are growing that the true scale and nature of events unfolding inside Iran may remain obscured for an extended period.