, Feb. 28 -- total internet blackout has been reported across Iran as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was carrying out broad air strikes on military targets in the country's western regions.

Internet monitoring agency NetBlocks said connectivity across Iran had dropped sharply, indicating a widespread disruption to online services amid the ongoing military escalation involving Israel and the United States, reports BBC.

The blackout is not unprecedented. Last month, Iran experienced a similar near-total shutdown during nationwide protests that were forcefully suppressed by authorities. During that period, some users managed limited access through satellite-based services operated by SpaceX as well as virtual private networks (VPN...