Iran Restores Internet Access After 88-Day Shutdown Following War With United States and Israel

Iran partially restored internet access after an 88-day nationwide shutdown that began after authorities imposed a blackout following the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel.

On May 25, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian ordered the Ministry of Communications to restore access to the Internet, which had been at least partially shut down since mass protests against the country’s clerical rulers in early January.

Al-Bayadir as-Siyasi

Internet monitoring platforms on May 26 reported partial restoration, with Netblocks saying connectivity was at around 80 percent of pre-January levels while Kentik put traffic levels at around 41 percent.

RFE/RL’s Radio Farda quoted Vida saying, "The feeling of collective humiliation, restricted access to information, even access to treatment and health care -- these are basic human rights, yet all of them had been taken away," as she described a reconnection that still left e-mail unable to open and communication with people outside Iran impossible.

DW reported that internet access was partially restored earlier this week after an 88-day blackout, and said real-time data from NetBlocks and Cloudflare showed a significant increase in web traffic compared to recent weeks.

Cybersecurity expert Amir Rashidi told DW, "Web traffic is still lower than it was before January. Back then, it was around 50%," and said the connection was manipulated so that hardly any data could leave the country.

Al-Jazeera Net

NPR said Netblocks measured Iran’s connectivity at around 86% of capacity from before the cutoff while Kentik said internet traffic was at around 40%, and it quoted Amir Rashidi on X: "It's too early to say the shutdown is over."

Even as access returned, NPR said apps like YouTube and Instagram remained heavily restricted as they were before the cutoff began during nationwide protests in January, and it described users fearing access could be cut off again at a moment's notice.

The shutdown’s economic toll was quantified by Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, with Afshin Kolahi saying during an April 12 session that the shutdown was costing the country up to $40 million per day and indirect losses were up to $80 million each day.

DW described how Iran’s National Security Council approved a plan during the blockade to grant certain groups access to the so-called "Internet Pro" in exchange for payment, and it quoted Rashidi saying, "The 'pro-internet' policy appears to be continuing."

In a separate account, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette said users reported service was slow and spotty in some areas and that apps such as YouTube and Instagram were heavily restricted as they were before the cutoff began during nationwide protests in January.

The Register’s reporting on the restoration framed the return as gradual and contested, while the DW and NPR accounts emphasized that even after the order to reopen international access, filtering and restrictions remained in place and many Iranians still faced disruptions.