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Iran’s internet blackout hiding strike damage and suppressing dissent, Israeli officials say
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Israeli officials are warning that Iran’s ongoing internet blackout is shaping the battlefield in ways that extend far beyond cyberspace, limiting visibility into the impact of U.S. and Israeli strikes while tightening the regime’s grip on its own population.
Multiple Israeli sources told Fox News that the blackout is not only restricting information from leaving Iran but also preventing citizens from organizing internally, at a time when pressure on the regime is mounting. Attempts by civilians to access the internet through satellite services such as Starlink have been disrupted through jamming, according to Israeli officials, while hundreds of individuals suspected of using such terminals have been detained.
“This is a blackout on truth,” a senior Israeli intelligence official told Fox News. “The regime is hiding reality from its own people. They don’t want the Iranian people to see how badly they’re getting hit.”
ISRAEL HAMMERS IRANIAN INTERNAL SECURITY COMMAND CENTERS TO OPEN DOOR TO UPRISING
Strikes on the Iranian leadership, the IRGC, and Iranian naval vessels and oil infrastructure have roiled the markets. ( Sasan / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
The information vacuum inside Iran is being filled by state-controlled narratives, according to the official.
“Iranians only know what they see on TV channels controlled by the Islamic regime, which falsely shows the U.S. and Israel being destroyed,” the Israeli official said.
But the impact goes beyond perception. The blackout is also affecting behavior on the ground.
“And it’s not just about what people see, it’s about what they can do,” the official said. “Cutting the internet stops people from communicating, from sharing what’s really happening, and from organizing.”
The restrictions come as the Iranian regime faces both external military pressure and lingering internal unrest following a brutal crackdown earlier in 2026. In January, security forces opened fire on nationwide protests, with reports suggesting the toll could be more than 30,000 killed in a matter of days.
Against that backdrop, Israeli officials say the blackout reflects the regime’s fear of renewed unrest.
“The Iranian people are one of the things the regime fears most,” the official said. “That’s why this blackout was such a priority.”
IRAN REGIME HIDES IN BUNKERS AS CIVILIANS LEFT EXPOSED WITHOUT ADEQUATE BOMB SHELTERS OR SIRENS
Iran internet blackout continues with heavy filtering despite partial restoration, costing over $780 million according to analyst Simon Migliano. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
The result, according to Israeli officials, is a war that is unfolding largely out of public view.
“This is one of the least visible wars in modern history because very little footage is coming out,” the official said. “When this blackout is lifted, the full extent of the damage to the regime will become clear. Right now, we’re only seeing a small glimpse of just how badly they’re being decimated.”
Israeli sources also linked the blackout directly to high-value military targets.
The U.S. and Israel, the official claims, “have taken out 25 senior commanders from the MOIS,” referring to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence.
“The majority (were) eliminated in the opening strike when they gathered for a meeting,” the official said, adding that those targeted were involved in managing the blackout.
The official identified Esmail Khatib as among those killed, describing him as “the minister of Intelligence who was the guy who signed off on the blackout.”
A senior U.S. administration official told Fox News Digital that, “President Trump wants a better life for the Iranian people — including unimpeded access to information. Unfortunately, the terrorist Iranian regime has a long, brutal history of oppressing its own people, but Operation Epic Fury continues to meet or surpass all of its benchmarks, and the entire region will be safer and more stable once these actions are complete.”
IRAN MOVES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN CRYPTO DURING NATIONWIDE INTERNET BLACKOUT, REPORT REVEALS
Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran Jan. 9, 2026. (MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. analysts say the information domain is becoming a central front in the conflict.
John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute, wrote on X that “Iran has repeatedly shut down internet access to control its population. That capability can be reversed.”
Spencer argued that external actors could shift the balance by targeting regime communications while enabling civilian connectivity.
“Disrupt regime command networks while enabling connectivity for the population through external systems. Information becomes a weapon,” he wrote. “Control of narrative, coordination, and awareness shifts away from the regime.”
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Iranian security forces allegedly killed detainees and burned bodies during protests, with clashes continuing in Kermanshah, Rasht and Mashhad despite government claims. (NCRI)
He also pointed to underlying instability inside Iran, noting that the country’s population is “over 85 million, young, urban, and repeatedly discontent,” with protest activity suggesting that a significant portion opposes the regime.
“Until now, civilians have largely been told to shelter,” Spencer wrote. “That could change.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Iranian mission to the United Nations, which responded, “no comment.”
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“Michael” is nearing another major box office milestone. The musical biopic about Michael Jackson has generated $788 million globally and will soon eclipse the $800 million mark.
Over the weekend, “Michael” added $28.5 million overseas in another strong showing. The crowd-pleaser, distributed by Universal internationally and Lionsgate domestically, has grossed $468 million overseas and $319 million domestically to date. With one significant market — Japan — yet to open, “Michael” should eventually surpass 2018’s sensation “Bohemian Rhapsody” ($911 million) to stand as the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time.
Disney’s comedy sequel “The Devil Wears Prada 2” also surpassed a notable box office benchmark with more than $600 million worldwide. Now in its fourth weekend of release, the fashion-set film collected $21 million overseas. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” has been big in North America with nearly $200 million to date, but it’s been especially popular at the international box office with $408 million.
This weekend’s major release was Disney’s “Star Wars” spinoff “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which opened to $64 million from 51 territories. Top markets were the United Kingdom with $7.1 million, Germany with $6.5 million, China with $5.3 million and Japan with $4.9 million. The big-budget tentpole has been a bigger draw in North America with $82 million over the weekend and an estimated $102 million through Memorial Day on Monday. That brings the global total to $145 million over the three days and $165 million over the four-day frame.
Those ticket sales are roughly even with the studio’s last spinoff attempt, 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which ended in disaster. That movie opened to $65 million overseas as well as $84 million domestically (and $103 million through the four-day Memorial Day holiday), not adjusted for inflation. With lackluster reviews and tepid word-of-mouth, it became the first “Star Wars” movie ever to lose money in its theatrical run, tapping out with $392 million globally against a massive budget of nearly $300 million. “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” meanwhile, cost $165 million to produce (that’s on the leaner side for Disney) and seems to have far better word-of-mouth from critics and audiences. The film’s second weekend at the box office will better indicate whether “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is just appealing to fans of the series, or if it’ll be able to stick around in theaters.
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Trump pushes Iran for toll-free Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump insists on a toll-free Strait of Hormuz, pushing back against Iran’s claims of a ‘controlled maritime zone’ and potential tolls. The U.S. maintains total control through blockade measures, while economic sanctions and diplomatic efforts with Gulf allies intensify pressure on Iran’s nuclear program and regional ambitions.
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Maritime tracking transmissions collapsed near the UAE’s main oil hub, rattling Persian Gulf shipping hours before President Donald Trump announced progress was made on a bilateral peace deal with Iran, according to an AI maritime firm.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI first detected the blackout in Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions near Fujairah, suggesting heightened electronic warfare, jamming, deliberate AIS shutdowns and intense cyber interference near the key UAE oil port.
“Fujairah goes dark: AIS transmissions collapse after Iran’s PGSA announcement,” Windward warned in a post shared on X.
“Vessels are still in the area. They are loading less, and a meaningful number have gone dark,” the firm said.
GULF SHIPPING OPERATIONS GRIND TO HALT NEAR IRAN, US QUIETLY PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE: ‘HEIGHTENED RISK’
A tanker sits at the Port of Fujairah, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran limits marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. (REUTERS / Amr Alfiky / File Photo)
As Trump announced that an Iran deal was “largely negotiated” and would see a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Fujairah went on to move 1.35 million barrels of crude Sunday aboard a single tanker bound for South Korea.
“Today, May 24, the port moved 1.35 million barrels, a single VLCC, destined for South Korea,” Windward said before reporting a tense, ongoing “ceasefire posture” and blockade footprint quickly being set into place.
“One cargo doesn’t mark a return to baseline, but it’s the first signal of flow resuming out of Fujairah since the announcement,” Windward said.
Ahead of the barrel transfer, Trump had stated that Washington and Tehran had “largely finalized” a memorandum of understanding for a peace agreement. He posted an AI-generated image depicting exploding IRGC fast boats in the strait.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN DEAL ‘LARGELY NEGOTIATED’ AS 84-DAY WAR NEARS POSSIBLE END
A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, 2026. (AP Photo)
Iran responded directly by continuing to declare the strategic maritime chokepoint stays under Tehran’s absolute control.
“We reaffirm that the Strait of Hormuz will remain under full Iranian administration and sovereignty, even in the event of reaching any future agreement,” Iran’s official military spokesperson, Ibrahim Al-Fiqar, said in a statement shared on X.
“The Islamic Republic emphasizes that the authorities to determine transit routes, timing, and issuance of maritime licenses are an absolute sovereign right exclusively in the hands of Tehran.”
The tanker blackout, crude transfer activity and movement toward a U.S.-Iran deal accelerated following the launch of Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority on May 20.
Overseen by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, the PGSA functions as a sovereign regulator by requiring ships to submit vessel, cargo, insurance and crew details — along with mandatory payments — for “safe passage” through the strait.
Regional analysts told Fox News Digital that, ahead of deal progression, Iran’s territorial claims had even been stretching beyond its own waters into areas tied to Oman and the UAE.
US EYES IRAN FAST BOATS WITH ‘KILL’ TACTICS TESTED IN VENEZUELA DRUG-BOAT STRIKES
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps speedboat sails in the Persian Gulf near the Bushehr nuclear power plant during a marine parade marking Persian Gulf National Day in Bushehr, Iran, on April 29, 2024. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital that enforcement “relies on the IRGC Navy’s asymmetric playbook.”
“This includes fast boats, drones, radar tracking, coastal missiles and selective intimidation rather than constant physical interdiction,” Vatanka said.
“Tehran wants Gulf states and major importers to gradually accept Iranian oversight of Hormuz as a new geopolitical reality,” he added.
While nuclear issues are dominating the current negotiations amid reports of a 60-day ceasefire, the PGSA has quickly emerged as an economic leverage tool threatening global oil and shipping markets.
“Now Hormuz is Iran’s main non-nuclear leverage tool,” Vatanka said as the PGSA he claimed gives Tehran a “mechanism to pressure rivals, favor allies and normalize IRGC oversight of one of the world’s most critical energy routes.”
According to Vatanka, the system was functioning as a wartime extortion mechanism.
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“Ships submit cargo and crew data for approval, while reports point to quiet ‘facilitation payments,’ preferential treatment for friendly states and uncertainty for everyone else,” Vatanka warned.
“Iran keeps the penalties deliberately vague. Noncompliant ships risk delays, harassment, drone surveillance, IRGC interception or denial of safe passage — enough pressure to encourage compliance without outright closing the strait.”
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