Iran has long been among the world’s most repressive countries for press freedom: in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders placed Iran 177th out of 180 states. Journalists and media watchdogs say the US‑Israel war with Iran has pushed reporting conditions to an even more dangerous point, with authorities tightening control over the public narrative and monitoring outlets more closely.
Reporters describe editorial instructions emanating from above and greater oversight of newsrooms. A journalist at a prominent Iranian publication, speaking on condition of anonymity, told DW the paper is now tightly overseen and that its website cannot be accessed from outside Iran. According to reporters, only a small number of outlets closely linked to the security establishment have reliable access to the global internet.
Press freedom groups report a broader pattern of censorship and intimidation. In March, RSF said journalists were confronting an information blackout while trying to report under wartime dangers and noted that some reporters had received threatening phone calls from state‑linked institutions. RSF described access to information inside Iran as “severely restricted,” and said correspondents were working under bombardment while under pressure from state bodies.
Internet restrictions have sharply curtailed the flow of information out of the country. Reuters reported on April 28 that Iran had entered a third month of an internet blackout, even as authorities introduced limited, temporary access for some businesses under a scheme dubbed “Internet Pro.” The blackout began on January 8, briefly eased in February, and was reimposed after the war began on February 28.
In practice this has produced a two‑tier information system: most of the population now has little or no normal access to the global internet, while a small number of media actors and institutions receive exceptions. Journalists say security agencies have approved so‑called “white SIM cards” that allow freer international access; some reporters refused the cards, viewing them as discriminatory and politically compromising because recipients are expected to remain within state narrative boundaries.
Pressure on reporting extends beyond internet access. Correspondents say routine coverage is risky, especially near sensitive sites. One Tehran‑based journalist told DW that independent reporting has become nearly impossible: credentialed reporters attempting to cover strike locations were briefly detained and had their footage deleted. While DW could not independently verify every individual account, the pattern aligns with findings from press freedom groups.
State media and officials frame unauthorized reporting as a national security threat. Domestic outlets are effectively confined to official versions of events and avoid publishing sensitive ground‑level details about public mood and the human toll. Some analysts say the regime’s wartime messaging has been clumsy and disconnected from people’s lived reality, widening the gap between official narratives and citizens’ experience.
The crackdown reaches beyond Iran’s borders. Reuters reported on March 9 that Tehran warned Iranians abroad who publicly backed the US and Israel they could face legal consequences, including confiscation of property in Iran. In March the judiciary said people accused of spying, cooperating with “hostile states” or helping enemy targeting could face the death penalty and seizure of assets under a law strengthened during the war; authorities said the law could apply to some media‑related activity, including sharing images or videos deemed useful to hostile forces.
Iran’s judiciary and security apparatus have long pursued journalists and citizens for reporting and commentary. Reporters now describe a harsher iteration of that system that is producing an information vacuum: as independent reporting grows harder and internet access remains restricted, the space for verified journalism shrinks, giving the state more room to promote its version of events and making it harder for citizens, reporters and the international community to understand what is happening on the ground.
Edited by Wesley Rahn