Iran's internet shutdown has entered its 16th day, leaving citizens disconnected while the state issues "white SIM cards" to loyalist influencers and cracks down on Starlink users.
The widespread internet blackout in Iran has entered its 16th day, continuing into a third week of severed global connectivity. Iran International, an opposition channel heavily critical of the Iranian regime, reports that the global internet monitor NetBlocks confirmed the ongoing disruption on Sunday morning. This prolonged communications blackout coincides with the massive US and Israeli military strikes across Iranian territory and the recent appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader.
According to the tracking data, Iranian citizens have been completely deprived of access to international networks for 360 hours. Alarabiya Farsi, a Saudi-funded outlet that consistently highlights Iranian state repression, corroborates these figures and underscores the stark disparity in digital access currently enforced by the state.
While the general population remains offline, selected influencers of the Islamic Republic are benefiting from special privileges. According to Iran International, these regime-approved figures have been granted special internet access through placement on a white list and are provided with white SIM cards that bypass the national restrictions.
Simultaneously, the state is actively targeting citizens attempting to circumvent the blackout. Alarabiya Farsi reports that state media has announced a new wave of arrests with the specific aim of suppressing Starlink users, penalizing Iranians utilizing satellite internet hardware to restore their connection to the outside world.
Both sources report identical NetBlocks data and narrative points. The background context provided a critical backdrop for why such an extreme (16-day) internet blackout is occurring, so it was naturally integrated into the first paragraph.