Iran goes dark amid 'regime paranoia', blackout follows Israeli, US strikes on compound

Iran was plunged into an net blackout Saturday aft Israel and the U.S. launched subject strikes astir the country, according to a planetary net monitor.

Within hours of the strikes — which officials said targeted infrastructure and killed dozens of elder authorities figures astatine a compound successful Tehran— NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker confirmed connectivity started "flatlining."

"We're tracking the ongoing blackout, but our appraisal is that this is consecutive retired of Iran's wartime playbook and accordant some technically and strategically with what we saw during the 2025 Twelve-Day War with Israel," Toker told Fox News Digital.

"Iran's net connectivity is present flatlining astir the 1% level, truthful the archetypal blackout the authorities imposed during the greeting has been consolidated," helium confirmed.

"The blackout was imposed conscionable aft 7:00 UTC, not agelong aft the onslaught connected the Iranian authorities compound," Toker clarified, adding that Iran had been mostly offline for astir 12 hours pursuing the attack.

"At 06:10 UTC, determination is the main compound strike; astatine 07:10 UTC, telecoms disruption starts; astatine 08:00 UTC, the blackout is mostly successful effect; and by 08:30 UTC, connectivity flatlines."

"Wartime nationalist blackouts are exceedingly uncommon astir the world, and it's thing we've lone truly seen astatine this standard successful Iran," helium said.

President Donald Trump monitors U.S. subject operations successful Iran pursuing an Israeli onslaught successful Tehran connected Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.  (@WhiteHouse/X)

In the aftermath of the attack, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, President Donald Trump said connected Truth Social that the "heavy and pinpoint" bombing successful Iran "will proceed uninterrupted passim the week oregon arsenic agelong arsenic indispensable to execute our nonsubjective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!"

He claimed Iranian information forces and members of the regime’s almighty Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were already seeking immunity. He urged them to "peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots."

"We are proceeding that galore of their IRGC, Military, and different Security and Police Forces nary longer privation to combat and are looking for Immunity from us," Trump said successful the post. "As I said past night, ‘Now they tin person Immunity; aboriginal they lone get Death!’"

Toker argued the timing of the blackout suggested it was imposed deliberately arsenic the authorities sought to unafraid communications amid fears of further targeting.

TRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE 'HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND' AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST IRAN

TEHRAN, IRAN - FEBRUARY 28: Smoke rises implicit the metropolis halfway aft an Israeli service launches 2nd question of airstrikes connected Iran connected February 28, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"The Iranian authorities volition person deployed this caller blackout to antagonistic imaginable cyberattacks during their ain subject operation, but besides to debar leaking the locations of elder authorities figures done metadata and user-generated content," helium said.

"Communications would person been limited, and Iran's enactment would person proceeded with the presumption that each communications, including outer oregon whitelisted networks, transportation risks," helium said earlier claiming that "paranoia would beryllium good grounded astatine this point, with the blackout a belated but nonstop effect to that."

"Those participating straight would already cognize to debar exertion that could betray their whereabouts," Toker said.

"However, the metadata whitethorn good person played a portion successful determining that the gathering of authorities leaders was being held astatine the Tehran compound, who was successful attendance, and astatine what time."

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In this handout representation provided by the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the federation successful a authorities tv broadcast connected June 18, 2025 successful Tehran, Iran.  (Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via Getty Images)

Toker revealed that the broader web astir the authorities leaders and astir the compound wouldn't person had the aforesaid strict restrictions.

"This benignant of adjacent ‘background noise’ tin beryllium correlated against different quality sources to physique an knowing of enactment connected the ground," helium added.

"Smartphones are a readily available, astir ‘free’ root of intelligence, and adjacent erstwhile locked down, they yet link to planetary online services and make insights that tin beryllium utilized to pinpoint authorities figures," Toker said.

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"In the aftermath of Saturday’s strike, this interest volition person been precocious connected the remaining Iranian leadership’s minds, particularly if they didn't person a wide and circumstantial knowing of however the gathering was compromised."

Iran has antecedently imposed sweeping net shutdowns during periods of home unrest, including nationwide protests successful January, which saw thousands killed, often seeking to curb the dispersed of accusation and restrict coordination.

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