Iran’s internet blackout, now dragging into day 60, has left the population in a state of enforced disconnection from the world. NetBlocks, tracking the outage, noted on X that fixed broadband and mobile services remain severely restricted, marking two full months since authorities severed global access on February 28.
Select elites—journalists, executives, and politicians—enjoy privileged reconnection, but for everyday Iranians, the digital void persists. This echoes January’s protest-era blackouts, where the government pulled the plug to quash anti-regime voices.
Compounding the crisis, security forces unveiled a series of arrests linked to Starlink satellite internet devices used for spying. Multiple news outlets cited police statements detailing how suspects funneled confidential material overseas.
In Tehran, the Yusefabad operation exposed a rented apartment turned spy den. Equipped with Starlink kits and high-tech comms, it beamed intelligence, images, and clips to hostile foreign entities, per police claims.
About 80 km southeast of Shiraz in Sarvestan, officers nabbed another operative transmitting messages and visuals from strategic sites. These actions signal Iran’s crackdown on satellite tech evading its iron-fisted internet controls.
The dual blows of blackout and busts paint a picture of a nation on high alert. With Starlink’s orbit-circling promise of unrestricted access clashing against Tehran’s firewalls, the espionage charges could escalate geopolitical rifts further.
