Amid mass evacuation orders and fears of wider conflict, Iranians at home and abroad are reporting major disruptions to banking and internet services, adding to the chaos as Israeli airstrikes and US warnings drive thousands to flee major cities.
Messages and videos sent to Iran International reveal a nationwide breakdown in financial services. “You can’t even buy internet from Irancell,” one audience wrote.
“We have no way to pay,” another said, with bank systems crashing and cash machines out of service.
“The systems are obsolete and unprepared for modern cyberattacks,” AI and IT analyst Sahar Tahvili told Iran International.
“Cyberattacks in wartime are designed to cripple physical systems like transport, banks, and energy—and disrupt communication to undermine coordination.”
Sepah Bank has been entirely knocked offline, according to dozens of reports.
Hackers from the group Predatory Sparrow claimed responsibility. “We have destroyed all of Sepah Bank’s data in a cyber operation,” a statement by the group said.
ATMs out of service
The bank’s website and mobile services remain inaccessible. Users reported Sepah cards are all non-functional, with some ATMs across Tehran and other provinces out of cash.
Despite official denials, users across the country told Iran International that major banks, including Melli, Pasargad, and Eghtesad-e Novin, are also facing service failures.
“I’ve visited ten ATMs today,” said one man in Tehran. “None had any cash.”
Fars News Agency, tied to the Revolutionary Guards, confirmed a cyberattack disrupted Sepah’s remote services and warned of possible fuel station outages due to the bank’s backend support for some gas outlets.
Iran's central bank said banking infrastructure is stable and services were operating normally.
People in Tehran and other cities reported significant drop in internet speeds, some suggesting connection was all but impossible.
The impact stretches beyond Iran’s borders. Iranians stranded abroad due to flight cancellations say they are unable to access funds.
“I converted money to Tether, but crypto platforms block all transactions or require confirmation codes sent to Iranian phones—which don’t work here as roaming is down,” said a tourist stuck in Turkey.
“We came for a one-week trip, now we can’t pay for the hotel.”
Worse to come?
Retired military personnel who rely on Bank Sepah for pensions have also been affected.
“I served in the army for 30 years,” said one veteran. “Now I can’t even withdraw my pension while my children try to leave the city.”
With digital payments frozen, gold markets also ground to a halt.
"Gold shops are closed, and online platforms for selling gold are down,” a Tehran resident said.
Iran’s Cyber Security Command has issued a directive prohibiting government officials and their security teams from using any devices connected to public communication or telecommunications networks, Fars News Agency reported Tuesday.
The move comes amid rising concerns over mobile phone tracking being used for targeted assassinations within Iran. It also appears intended to prevent incidents similar to last year’s Israeli pager-based attack on Hezbollah operatives.
As infrastructure collapses under pressure from cyberattacks and conflict, many Iranians are left without cash, connectivity, or a clear way out.
Respondents were asked: "On the night between Thursday and Friday, Israel launched an attack against military targets in Iran. In response, Iran fired hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles at targets within Israel. What is your position?"
The results show a clear national divide between Jewish and Arab Israelis, the latter comprising 20% of the population.
“While Jewish Israelis largely see the Iran strike as unifying and justified even at high cost, Arab Israelis view it as divisive, dangerous, and diplomatically unjustified — underscoring a profound gap in public sentiment across Israeli society," the report said.
The research was carried out by Gayil Talshir and Nimrod Nir from the Department of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
When asked, “Do you support Israel carrying out military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities?” 58% of Jewish Israelis expressed support for strikes even without US backing, 40% favored military action only with American cooperation, and 2% preferred a diplomatic approach.
Among Arab Israelis, 11% support striking Iran’s nuclear facilities even without American backing, 6% support military action only with US cooperation and 73% prefer a diplomatic route.
When asked, “Do you think Israel can completely destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and eliminate the military threat Iran poses to Israel without American military assistance?” 27% of Jewish respondents said yes, compared to just 9% of Arab respondents.
Only one-third (33%) of Jewish respondents say Israel should comply with US requests to halt the campaign if asked, compared to 78% of Arab respondents who believe Israel should stop the attacks to pursue an agreement preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Goal of Israeli attacks
Respondents were also divided on the campaign’s ultimate goal. When asked, “What should be the ultimate goal of Israel’s action against Iran’s nuclear program?”, only 14% of Arab Israelis supported a full military dismantling of Iran’s capabilities, compared to 56% of Jewish respondents.
The report surveyed 1,057 Israelis aged 17-86 on the attacks on Iran, what Israel calls operation Rising Lion.
So far, 24 deaths have been reported in Israel since Friday, with hundreds more injured, but speaking to Iran International, former military intelligence officer Miri Eisin, said the operation is going far better than could have been expected, with minimal casualties compared to what had been prepared for and massive gains, including taking control of Iranian air space.
Iran says more than 200 people have been killed since Friday amid extensive Israeli strikes, which have killed scores of the country's military leadership.
Even Israelis opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been supportive of the operation, seeing a changing sentiment towards the long-time premier.
US President Donald Trump on Monday issued evacuation warnings to Tehran, suggesting he will back Israel in its attacks in a bid to quash the threat of a nuclear armed Iran.
"Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" he added.