Tehran — Iran has been subject to a nationwide internet blackout for 57 consecutive days, NetBlocks reported, marking 1,344 hours of disrupted digital access. The monitoring group said the shutdown “stifles the voices of Iranians, leaves friends and family out of touch and damages the economy.”
NetBlocks and other observers say the total cut came immediately after joint US and Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28 and that the current disruption is the longest nation-scale internet shutdown on record, surpassing previous state-led restrictions. The stoppage follows a separate communications blackout in January that critics say was used to conceal the state’s deadly crackdown on protesters earlier this year.
The digital isolation has unfolded alongside heightened regional tensions and a deepening diplomatic standoff. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Islamabad this month, meeting Pakistan’s military leadership as part of a delegation arriving amid tight security measures in the Pakistani capital. Major routes were sealed and the high-security Red Zone was placed under strict cordon, leaving much of the city effectively locked down.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar posted on social media that he welcomed Araghchi and expected “meaningful engagements aimed at promoting regional peace and stability.” The visit took place as the United States announced envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would travel to the region for possible talks with Iran, but Tehran has publicly said it would “not be meeting” with US representatives.
At the core of the impasse are three key issues: Tehran’s highly enriched uranium program, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel’s military actions in Lebanon. The White House said its envoys were prepared for in-person discussions and expressed hope the trips would “move the ball forward to a deal.” A White House spokesperson added that JD Vance remained “deeply involved” in the effort despite not traveling.
Negotiations so far have made little headway; US officials have said 21 hours of intense talks failed to produce a breakthrough and have voiced concern about Iran’s nuclear intentions. Tehran has refused to resume formal talks while US naval forces maintain a presence near its ports, and in turn Iran has taken steps it described as a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, unsettling global energy markets.
Washington has reinforced its regional posture with the arrival of the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group and announced sanctions targeting a major Chinese refinery and shipping firms alleged to be linked to Iranian crude exports.
Iran’s Foreign Office said Araghchi’s discussions would focus on recent regional developments and efforts toward peace and stability, even as life in Tehran and other cities has been disrupted by the communications blackout and related economic and social pressures.
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