Iran’s internet blackout fuels fear and isolation

Deutsche Welle · Mar 27, 2026 · 610 words · By Shabnam von Hein

Original article: https://www.dw.com/en/iranians-suffer-from-internet-blackout-as-well-as-us-israe…

Analysis Summary

Propaganda Score: 60% (confidence: 80%)
Summary: The article reports on Iran's internet blackout during the US-Israel conflict, detailing its impact on citizens' access to information and psychological well-being. It highlights declining trust in state media and the challenges Iranians face in circumventing government restrictions.

Topics

Internet Censorship State Media Trust War Impact on Civilians

Fact-Check Results

“Internet expert Keyvan Samadi explained how Iranian authorities tracked Starlink devices via signal detection.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify Keyvan Samadi's claims about Starlink tracking

“Israeli military said that it had completed a wide-scale wave of strikes on the 'heart of Tehran' and had targeted 'infrastructure belonging to the Iranian regime.'”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm or refute Israeli military strikes on Tehran infrastructure

“US President Donald Trump postponed his threats to attack Iran's energy facilities if Tehran refused to lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify Trump's statements about attacking Iran's energy facilities

“The US has deployed thousands of troops to the Middle East. A ground invasion of Iran has not been ruled out.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm US troop deployments or invasion considerations

“Iran had claimed that it had launched missile and drone attacks on targets in Israel as well as US bases in several Gulf states.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify Iran's missile/drone attack claims

“According to a survey by the Iranian Students Polling Agency in Tehran, even before the Twelve-Day War between Iran and Israel of June 2025, only 12.5% of people relied on IRIB for their news, compared to 51% in 2017.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify the Iranian Students Polling Agency survey results

“Despite a budget increase of about 50% in March 2025, the public broadcaster has not been able to regain the trust it has lost.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to assess IRIB's trust restoration after budget increase

“Since the US-Israel war with Iran began on February 28, the Iranian authorities have once again shut down the internet.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify internet shutdown claims during the US-Israel war

“Iranian authorities banned and confiscated Starlink systems.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm Iranian authorities' actions against Starlink

“According to media reports, hundreds of people have been arrested that way since the beginning of the US-Israel war with Iran.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify arrests related to Starlink usage during the conflict

“People still in the country told DW that VPN services remained available but at very high prices.”

❓ PENDING

“Internet blackouts in Iran caused psychological stress due to loss of contact with relatives.”