Iran arrests over 460 people over online activity

2026-03-24 - 16:10

The news agency did not specify the exact nature of the online activity or the dates of the arrests. (Envato pic) TEHRAN: Iranian authorities announced on Tuesday the arrest of 466 people accused of seeking to destabilise the country through their online activity, state media reported, as the war with the US and Israel ground on. “These individuals sought to sow confusion in public opinion, create fear and anxiety in society, promote insecurity and spread propaganda in favour of the enemy” online, state news agency IRNA said, citing Iranian police. The news agency did not specify the exact nature of the online activity nor the dates of the arrests. Internet monitor Netblocks on Tuesday wrote on X that “Iran’s internet blackout has entered its 25th day after 576 hours”. For nearly a month, only a handful of authorised people have had access to the worldwide internet in Iran. Others have sought to overcome the blackout by connecting sporadically via VPNs or Starlink — a jailable offence in Iran. Iranians can nonetheless access the local internet to communicate or make online orders.