Iran Ends 88-Day Internet Blackout, Restores Access
Fixed broadband is returning for some users as monitors say the 88-day blackout eased, but mobile service remains limited and the restoration may not last.
- On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order to reopen international internet access after a near-90-day blackout, with the Cyberspace Regulation Committee voting to restore nationwide connectivity.
- Authorities initially imposed the blackout on January 8 in response to anti-government protests, then reinstated it after U.S. and Israeli strikes began on February 28, leaving most Iranians without access for 87 days according to internet observatory NetBlocks.
- Human Rights Watch researcher Tomiwa Ilori warned that shutdowns restrict access to lifesaving information and cause severe psychological harm, while the blackout has left many Iranians unable to contact distant family members and caused economic hardship for workers dependent on internet access.
- Implementation details remain unclear, though the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology will oversee restoration after final approval from President Pezeshkian, with the committee formed in mid-May under pressure from hardline conservatives.
- Even after restoration, access to the global internet in Iran remains heavily restricted through website censorship, with authorities continuing to rely on a domestic intranet for essential services including schools running online classes.
205 Articles
205 Articles
Iran begins lifting internet blockade after historic blackout
Iran began lifting its internet blockade after 88 days, the longest internet blackout in modern history. Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, announced in a Tuesday X post that the country would begin reopening the internet in line with a request from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, confirmed the same day that a “partial restoration” was taking place after “2093 hours of near-total isolat…
Iran's official communication assures it: the United States is too weak to continue the war. Meanwhile, the population is gradually reopening in the world thanks to the re-establishment of the Internet. Twenty airports have also resumed their activity. (International).
NEW: Iran Resumes Internet But Tightens Grip With Brutal Crackdown
The situation in Iran remains dire as the government tightens its grip on digital freedoms while slowly restoring internet access. Although connectivity is resuming, it comes with significant restrictions designed to control information and suppress dissent. A social media post highlighted the extent of these restrictions, stating, “the regime is still placing restrictions about what they can see about the arrest of protestors.” This underscores…
It was the longest Internet barrier in history. The Iranian president has now lifted it. Against the resistance of the hardliners.
Iran's Internet Restoration Highlights Shift From Battlefield To Negotiating Table, Says Former US Diplomat Charles Dunne
After 88 days of digital isolation, described by NetBlocks as the “longest nationwide Internet shutdown in modern history,” Iran has begun partially restoring Internet access. To unpack what this means, RFE/RL spoke with Charles Dunne, a former senior US diplomat and national-security official.
NetBlocks, the international observatory that monitors Internet access in the world, has confirmed the “partial” re-establishment of the connection in Iran. Increased access to the global network occurs after Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian ordered the lifting of restrictions imposed about three months ago, at the start of the war with the United States and Israel on February 28. Continue reading
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