Iraq Experienced Brief Connectivity Disruption on July 21
Iraq experienced a brief but sharp degradation in internet connectivity late on July 21, 2026. The disruption occurred between 23:24 and 23:57 UTC, with the most significant impact observed on a key network backscatter measurement. The event registered a severity score of 2,468.Technical DetailsThe primary…
Iraq experienced a brief but sharp degradation in internet connectivity late on July 21, 2026. The disruption occurred between 23:24 and 23:57 UTC, with the most significant impact observed on a key network backscatter measurement. The event registered a severity score of 2,468.
Technical Details
The primary affected signal was the Merit Network Telescope (merit-nt) median, which measures unsolicited backscatter traffic as a proxy for aggregate internet connectivity. This signal recorded a 94% drop from its peak value during the disruption. The event comprised three distinct periods of degradation within the 33-minute window. Other key network signals, including Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) announcements and active IPv4 reachability probing, showed minimal deviation from baseline levels. The cause has not been publicly attributed. Connectivity was reported restored by the end of the observation period.
