[Correspondence] Internet Shutdowns in Iran and the Right to Health

Why It Matters

Internet shutdowns transform digital access into a weapon that directly endangers civilian health and breaches treaty obligations, amplifying mortality and eroding medical neutrality. Recognising connectivity as essential health infrastructure is critical for protecting lives in crises.

Key Takeaways

• 296 shutdowns in 2024 across 54 countries
• Iran's Jan 2026 blackout hampers medical response
• Shutdowns linked to thousands of preventable deaths
• International law deems blanket shutdowns disproportionate
• Satellite tech proposed to bypass government-imposed blackouts

Pulse Analysis

The weaponisation of internet shutdowns has become a systematic tactic in modern conflict, with 296 incidents recorded in 2024 alone. These digital blackouts are no longer peripheral inconveniences; they strike at the core of health systems by severing real‑time data flows, disrupting ambulance dispatch, and silencing disease surveillance. Iran’s recent nationwide blackout illustrates the lethal convergence of political repression and health emergency, as hospitals operate in an information vacuum, facing shortages of blood, supplies, and mental‑health support for exhausted staff.

International legal frameworks, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, enshrine the right to freedom of expression and the right to health. Under the principles of necessity and proportionality, blanket internet shutdowns fail to meet lawful standards, especially when they impede humanitarian aid and medical neutrality. Bodies such as the WHO and the World Medical Association are urged to classify shutdowns during health crises as violations, and to develop protocols that treat connectivity as essential health infrastructure, ensuring accountability through binding UN resolutions.

Addressing the crisis requires resilient, low‑bandwidth solutions and investment in satellite‑based connectivity that bypasses state‑controlled networks. Technologies from Starlink, OneWeb, and other low‑Earth‑orbit constellations can provide health facilities and humanitarian actors with uninterrupted access, while encrypted SMS platforms enable secure reporting when broadband is unavailable. Coupled with legal safeguards and dedicated emergency funds for at‑risk health workers, these measures can mitigate the preventable mortality and psychological harm that have become hallmarks of internet shutdowns worldwide.