Amid growing public discontent and the looming threat of nationwide protests, the Iranian regime has intensified its security measures, combining a near-total internet blackout with heavy militarization of the streets in a desperate bid to prevent a new uprising.
According to NetBlocks, a global internet monitor, Iran is currently experiencing one of the most severe internet disruptions recorded globally. The organization reported that the country has been largely offline for nearly a third of 2026. Since the onset of the recent conflict on March 9th, ordinary citizens’ access to the global internet has plummeted to roughly 1%, with over 240 hours of continuous blackout.
⚠️ Update: At 240 hours, #Iran's internet blackout is now among the most severe government-imposed nationwide internet shutdowns on record globally, and the second longest registered in Iran after the January protests, with the country having spent a third of 2026 offline. pic.twitter.com/LPoVkOI9MM
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) March 10, 2026
Highlighting this deliberate digital isolation, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani admitted that internet access is being selectively provided only to those who can “deliver the voice to the world”—a clear indication that the regime is monopolizing the narrative through its state-approved propaganda channels while keeping the public in an information blackout.
To further suppress any organizing efforts, state security forces have launched a sweeping wave of arrests. Ahmad-Reza Radan, the commander of the regime’s police force, announced on the evening of March 10th the arrest of 82 citizens accused of “sending materials to and communicating with foreign media.” Simultaneously, the notorious Ministry of Intelligence claimed the arrest of 30 others on fabricated charges of “espionage and collaborating with the enemy.”
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Acknowledging the heavy militarization of urban areas, Radan confirmed that security forces are deployed around the clock. He issued a direct, lethal warning to deter citizens from protesting, stating explicitly: “If anyone wants to come to the streets, all our forces are ready with their fingers on the trigger.”
These threats coincide with widespread reports of heavy security presence, multiple checkpoints, and a suffocating atmosphere across major cities. Activists and the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations have described the atmosphere in Tehran as that of a “military barracks” filled with intimidation and fear.
International observers note that this dual strategy—imposing total digital isolation coupled with the explicit threat of lethal force—exposes the Iranian regime’s deep-seated panic and vulnerability over the prospect of a popular revolution aimed at ending the dictatorship.
