Earlier this week, a massive internet outage affected nearly the entire population of Iran, resulting in a “near-total national internet blackout.”

Initially, the cause and those responsible for the shutdown were unknown, which further complicated Iranians’ access to information about the ongoing conflict with Israel and their ability to communicate with family and friends both within and outside the country.

The Iranian government has now confirmed that it intentionally shut down the internet to safeguard against cyberattacks from Israel.

Fatemeh Mohajerani, the government spokesperson for Iran, stated in a recent local news report, “We had previously announced that if necessary, we would switch to a national internet and limit global access. Our primary concern is security, and we have witnessed cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and disruptions to banking services.” Mohajerani added, “Many enemy drones are managed via the internet, and a significant amount of information is exchanged through this medium. A cryptocurrency exchange was also hacked, prompting us to impose internet restrictions.”

Mohajerani referenced the recent hacks on Bank Sepah and Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. A hacktivist group known as Predatory Sparrow claimed responsibility for both attacks, stating its intention to target Iranian organizations to weaken the regime. This group, which appears to be pro-Israel, has successfully disrupted several key services in Iran, including gas stations and steel plants.

The internet shutdown has significantly affected the daily lives of Iranians, both within and outside the country, amidst the ongoing Israeli airstrikes.

Amir Rashidi, director of cybersecurity and digital rights at Miaan Group, shared with TechCrunch that his family was forced to evacuate Tehran due to the Israeli government’s warning of an impending attack on their neighborhood.

Rashidi expressed his concern, saying, “I haven’t heard from them in two days, but someone is supposed to update me. I hope everything is okay.” The shutdown has not only affected internet services but also other forms of communication, including phone calls. When attempting to call from outside the country, the call does not connect, and the caller hears a meaningless recorded message.

Nariman Gharib, an Iranian activist and independent cyber-espionage investigator based in the U.K., noted that only a small group of people can access the internet by using virtual private servers as proxies or exploiting disruptions in the network.

Gharib told TechCrunch, “There aren’t many people able to get online. My friends are tech-savvy, so they can bypass the restrictions, but generally, it’s very difficult due to the complete internet shutdown in the country.”