Iran Internet Blackout: The Iranian government has restored internet access across the country after a 85-day nationwide internet blackout which began after the US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic on February 28, that triggered the Iran war.
Pezeshkian orders removal of Iran internet blackout?
As per Iranian state media reports, President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday issued a formal order to restore international internet access, ending nearly three months of severe restrictions due to which most of Iran remained cut off from the global internet.
Iran’s Communications Ministry confirmed the order issued by President Pezeshkian, stating that unrestricted internet access has been restored across Iran.
How Iran internet blackout evolved?
Tehran had first imposed internet restrictions on January 8 when the nationwide anti-government protests, allegedly orchestrated by the United States and Israel, had intensified, prompting authorities to clamp down on internet access, citing “national security” threats.
Internet curbs were partially eased on January, but reimposed with even more severity on February 28, when the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, sparking the ongoing West Asia conflict.
According to internet monitoring watchdog, NetBlocks, Iran remained under a near-total internet blackout for nearly three months, during which most users were unable to access websites and social media platforms from outside countries, particularly from the US and the West.
How Iranians accessed internet during blackout?
During the blackout, internet connectivity across Iran dropped to barely 1-2 percent, compared to 90-100 percent pre-restrictions, prompting Iranians to use VPN services for bypassing the curbs and access websites from around the world.
As per reports, only a select group of privileged people could afford a more unrestricted internet access during the blackout as the government introduced “Internet Pro”, a restricted paid system it offered to selected users to access less-filtered internet through special white SIM cards, which required applicants to provide personal documents and explain why they needed access.
Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service spread quietly during this period as tousands of terminals were reportedly smuggled into Iran after the government crackdown earlier this year, allowing some people to bypass state restrictions.
However, Starlink remains illegal in Iran, and authorities have reportedly searched homes and rooftops to find users accused of connecting to the service.
First published on: May 26, 2026 12:27 AM IST
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