Censorship during the 2026 Iran war

During the 2026 Iran war, the U.S. government restricted information regarding the conflict with Iran through voluntary satellite imagery blackouts, seizing web domains, and threatening media outlets.^[1] Iran caused a lot more extensive damage to U.S. military bases than publicly known due to the U.S. government censorship.^[specify][2] The U.S. Department of Justice seized dozens of websites, including Iranian state-run media and sites affiliated with the "resistance axis," labelling them as part of disinformation campaigns.^[3] Israel actively censored reporting on damage from Iranian attacks during the 2026 Iran war, using its military censor to restrict, modify, or ban the publication of information regarding impact sites, military vulnerabilities, and air defense readiness.^[4] Reporters had to submit footage and articles to the Israeli military censor (under the IDF Intelligence Corps) for review before publication during the 2026 Iran war.^[5] Violations led to the removal of media accreditation, lawsuits, or in some cases, the closure of outlets.^[6] During the 2026 Iran war, Iran enforced severe censorship by implementing near-total internet blackouts, shifting traffic to a restricted domestic intranet, and restricting independent journalism to hide damage and suppress dissent. Iran also maintained its longest internet shutdown to hide true information regarding conflict damage, forcing citizens to rely on state-controlled narratives.^[7][8]