How governments hide the truth about the conflict with Iran online: 7 secret tactics
11.04.2026In the Shadow of Digital Barriers: When the Truth About Conflicts Disappears
A plume of smoke rises after a strike on Tehran, Iran, on March 3. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images
As missiles tear through the skies over the Middle East and diplomats confer in the wings, ordinary people search the Internet for answers. But what if pages with key evidence disappear like smoke from an explosion? Governments in many countries are skillfully erasing traces of information about tensions with Iran, turning the Internet into a labyrinth of censorship. From blocking websites to manipulating search engines, this is not fiction, but the reality of modern hybrid wars. We will reveal how this happens, based on fresh facts and investigations.
Iran's "Great Wall of Fire": Total Control Over the Internet
Iran has long turned the internet into a fortress. Since 2009, after the Green Revolution, the ayatollah regime has created the “National Information Network” — a domestic version of the internet, cut off from the global network. During the escalation of the conflict with Israel in 2024, the government blocked access to WhatsApp, Instagram and other platforms, citing “security”. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. According to NetBlocks, during the missile exchanges in April 2024, internet bandwidth in Tehran fell by 80%, and keywords such as “war with Israel” or “consulate attack” were removed from search engines.1
Open source intelligence (OSINT) analysts at Bellingcat have found that Iranian ISPs are using deep packet inspection (DPI) systems that not only block but also remove content in real time. For example, videos of drone strikes on Israeli targets disappeared from Telegram channels within minutes. The regime is recruiting thousands of “cyber volunteers” to mass delete posts—the so-called “troll army.” In 2023, Iran spent more than $100 million on censorship technology from Chinese companies like Huawei that allows it to monitor every click.2
Interestingly, even VPNs don't always save: the government blocks the WireGuard and Shadowsocks protocols, forcing users to risk arrest. According to a report by Amnesty International, more than 500 bloggers and journalists have been imprisoned for "spreading fake news about the war." This is not just censorship - it is erasure of history.
Israeli "ghosts" on the Internet: erasing evidence at the root
Israel, as a key player in the confrontation with Iran, is acting more subtly. Unit 8200, an elite cyber unit, conducts operations to “clean up” the internet. After the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, 2024, thousands of videos and photos were removed from YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) for “violating the rules.” Who is behind this? An open-source investigation by The Intercept found that Israeli bots and automated scripts are massively complaining about content, forcing the platforms to block it.3
Another trick is geoblocking. Israeli IP addresses restrict access to Iranian news sites, and the Mossad allegedly works with Google to demote searches for terms like “Israeli attacks on Iran.” In July 2024, during a new wave of strikes, reports of civilian casualties in Iran disappeared, replaced by official IDF press releases. According to Access Now, Israel blocked more than 200 sites linked to Hezbollah and Iran, even if they contained neutral information.4
The psychological effect is striking: Israelis see a “victory without losses,” and the world sees a selective narrative. This is classic asymmetric warfare, where truth becomes the first casualty.
American censorship: from TikTok to the Great Firewall
The US, as an ally of Israel, is playing it their own way. The TikTok Act of 2024 banned the platform for “ties to Iran and China,” but it is actually a tool to remove pro-Iranian content. According to the EFF, Meta and YouTube algorithms demotivate videos with a Palestinian or Iranian perspective — fewer views, fewer shares.5
In 2023–2024, the Pentagon launched the “Information Operations” program, where cyber units remove “disinformation” about Iranian drones. Example: after the attack on the base in Jordan, photos of Iranian Shahed wreckage disappeared, replaced with “Russian analogues.” OSINT group Oryx recorded how Google removed more than 1500 pages with evidence.6
The FBI and DHS monitor social media, blocking accounts of “pro-Russian trolls,” but this often affects neutral journalists as well. The result is that American audiences only hear the “official version.”
China and Russia: Exporting Censorship to Iran's Allies
China, Iran’s technology supplier, taught it the Great Firewall. In 2024, Huawei provided Iran with facial recognition systems at checkpoints and online. Russia, Tehran’s ally, goes further: after supplying Shahed drones to Ukraine, Moscow blocks any mention of their Iranian origin on VK and Telegram.7
Joint operations: Russian hackers from the GRU help Iran with DDoS attacks on opposition websites. According to a report by Mandiant, in June 2024, they took down pro-Iranian websites in Europe. This is a global network where censorship becomes a weapon.
The European Paradox: Freedom of Speech Under Fire
The EU proclaims freedom, but the Digital Services Act 2024 allows blocking of “harmful content” about Iran without a court order. France and Germany removed thousands of posts about the “Hamas-Iran alliance” after October 7, 2023. According to EDRi, Google in Europe has reduced the visibility of pro-Iranian media by 70%.8
Example: After the Iranian strikes on Israel in April 2024, the BBC and DW censored comments, removing “extremist” views. It’s soft censorship, but effective.
Manipulation tactics: bots, fakes and “forget about it”
Governments use deepfakes: Iran created a video of “Israeli casualties,” Israel created a video of “Iranian failures.” Bots amplify narratives: 40% of tweets about the war are automated, according to the Stanford Internet Observatory.9
Another move is the “right to be forgotten”: Israel has filed over 500 requests with Google to delete transaction data. Platforms like X moderate content under pressure from governments.
How to resist: tools for the truth
OSINT enthusiasts recommend Tor, decentralized networks like IPFS, and Wayback Machine archives. Projects like IranWire preserve data. International pressure: UN calls for transparency in 2024.10
The future is a decentralized web where the truth cannot be erased.
Sources
- NetBlocks: Internet disruptions in Iran, April 2024
- Bellingcat: Iran's Cyber Army
- The Intercept: Israel-Iran Online Censorship
- Access Now: Israel Blocks
- EFF: TikTok and Censorship
- Oryx: Iranian Drones Analysis
- Mandiant: Iran-Russia Cyber
- EDRi: DSA and Iran
- Stanford: Bots in Iran Conflict
- UN: Internet Freedom Report 2024
