Thousands have been killed under cover of the blackout, according to rights groups.<\/p>\n
Information from government sources, including spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, confirmed that the internet blackout imposed on January 8, as Iran brutally cracked down on the protests, will last until at least the Iranian new year on March 20, Filterwatch<\/a> said.<\/p>\n But authorities are also implementing a \u201cconfidential state project\u2026 to transform the country\u2019s internet infrastructure into a \u2018Barracks Internet.’\u201d according to the group.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition \t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Recent steps taken to implement the \u201cBarracks Internet\u201d project include the collection of satellite dishes, blocking of Starlink terminals<\/a>, quiet departure of foreign telecommunications partners, and dismissal of the CEO of Irancell, a major Iranian communications firm, who was reportedly accused of treason for delaying orders to cut connectivity, Filterwatch said.<\/p>\n \t The group indicated that the internet shutdown could exacerbate the economic concerns that drove Iranians to the street in the first place.<\/p>\n For example, private postal company Tipax\u2019s daily shipments dropped from some 32,000 to \u201cfewer than a few hundred after the complete internet shutdown,\u201d demonstrating that the blackout \u201cnot only causes financial losses for companies but also directly results in unemployment for thousands of drivers and warehouse workers across the country,\u201d said Filterwatch.<\/p>\n A former US State Department official quoted by the Guardian<\/a> said \u201cthe impacts of this will be really severe for Iranian authorities, who will bear responsibility for that harm to their economy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not out of the question that they\u2019re going to do it, but seeing these situations unfold, the economic impact and the cultural impact will be really massive. And they may overplay their hand,\u201d said the unnamed former official.<\/p>\n \u201cThe digital rights community is right to raise the alarm,\u201d said the former official, describing as \u201cplausible and terrifying\u201d the possibility that Iran would try to splinter off the global internet.<\/p>\n \t Citing researchers from digital rights groups Project Ainita and Outline Foundation, the Guardian said Iran had already begun planning its separate internet in 2012, after realizing the huge costs of the wholesale shutdown that was imposed during Iran\u2019s 2009 anti-regime protests.<\/p>\n The current shutdown, imposed on January 8, is among the most severe in history, the Guardian said. On Saturday, more than 200 hours after the regime shut down the internet amid widespread protests, monitoring group NetBlocks said internet connectivity in Iran rose \u201cvery\u201d slightly.<\/p>\n Activists have warned the Iranian regime would use the internet blackout to mask the extent of its violent repression of the protests that began on December 28 and morphed into a mass movement demanding that Iran\u2019s theocracy be dismantled. The protests appeared to have been stifled<\/a> by Friday.<\/p>\n The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Friday put the death toll in Iran\u2019s demonstrations at 3,090, including at least 163 people identified as affiliated with the government. The group relies on a network of activists inside Iran that confirms all reported fatalities. The toll cannot be independently verified.<\/p>\n Agencies contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tThis frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters in the streets in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26013542283472-e1768355713252-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tIn this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)<\/p>\n
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