Iran goes dark as regime unleashes force, cyber tools to crush protests
When protests have erupted across Iran, the government’s first response has often been not dialogue but darkness.In recent days, Iranian authorities have imposed sweeping internet and communications blackouts, expanded the...
By Fox News · Fox News
When protests have erupted across Iran, the government’s first response has often been not dialogue but darkness. In recent days, Iranian authorities have imposed sweeping internet and communications blackouts, expanded the use of surveillance drones, and deployed security forces to suppress demonstrators, according to analysts and human rights groups who say Tehran, Iran, is refining a playbook designed to smother dissent before it can spread. A nationwide internet blackout has now persisted for five days, with connectivity at near-zero levels, according to global internet monitor NetBlocks. And local authorities are also disrupting satellite internet such as Starlink to further limit Iranians’ ability to communicate. The objective, analysts say, is speed. "The Islamic Republic only has one answer for the protesters," Jason Brodsky, a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital. "The only way out of this mess that it has created for the Iranian people is by cracking down on them — more violence and more repression." Since the start of 2026, Iran has been rocked by anti-government protests driven by economic hardship, political repression and anger at the country’s clerical leadership, with demonstrations spreading well beyond major cities into smaller towns and rural areas. High inflation, unemployment and frustration over social restrictions have fueled unrest across generational and regional lines, challenging the regime’s claim that opposition is confined to isolated urban pockets. Brodsky said Iran’s leadership has learned from previous protest waves that allowing unrest to gain momentum — or visibility — can quickly spiral beyond its control. In 2019 and again in 2022, demonstrations expanded rapidly once images of violence spread online, drawing international scrutiny and pressure. That experience, he said, has shaped how the regime responds now. "This is a very well-worn playbook that the Islamic Republic employs," Brodsky said,…