Iraq Internet Shutdowns — June 2026 Exam Season

Iraq carried out a series of government-mandated internet shutdowns across June 2026 during national examination periods. Shutdowns were documented on June 9, June 11, June 24, and other dates, typically cutting mobile internet access for 60-90 minutes during morning exam hours.

The practice follows a pattern Iraq has repeated annually since at least 2023. Middle school exams drove early-June shutdowns; preparatory school exams drove the later ones. Cloudflare Radar traffic data showed sharp, near-total drops in Iraqi traffic during each shutdown window.

Government-directed exam shutdowns accounted for 56% of all Q2 2026 internet disruptions tracked globally, with Iraq running the longest continuous series of blackouts among affected countries.