Iranian authorities have partially restored Internet connectivity after an almost three-month shutdown, according to monitors, senior officials, and sources inside the country. The shutdown, which began in late February amid the war against Israel and the US, left Iranians largely cut off from international networks, with only a domestic intranet functioning for daily tasks such as shopping, ride-hailing, and education.
Partial Restoration on Day 88
Netblocks, an internet monitoring group, reported on X that live metrics showed a partial restoration of Internet connectivity in Iran on day 88 of the shutdown. The group stated it was unclear whether this marked a permanent end to what it called the longest nationwide Internet shutdown in modern history.
Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref posted on X that the first step toward free and regulated access to cyberspace had been taken, assuring that the demands of Iranians would be fulfilled. State news agencies IRNA and Fars claimed full international Internet connectivity had been restored for fixed broadband users, though Netblocks did not confirm this.
Mixed Experiences on the Ground
Witnesses inside Iran told AFP that mobile Internet remains cut, but home Internet via Wi-Fi had been restored, though VPNs were still needed to access some social media platforms. A 22-year-old woman from Kermanshah said she could open international websites using her home Internet provider. A user in Tehran reported that company Internet had been restored, but mobile connections remained inaccessible. Others described general access as extremely patchy.
Context of the Shutdown
The shutdown, imposed when war erupted on February 28, followed a similar blackout from January 8 during mass anti-government protests. Activists claimed the January closure aimed to mask the scale of a crackdown that left thousands dead, according to rights groups, and to prevent further demonstrations.
Doug Madory, head of Internet analysis at US firm Kentik, urged perspective, noting that Iran has a long way to go to return to pre-January 8 traffic volumes.
Political and Economic Implications
The shutdown sparked debate within Iran, with President Masoud Pezeshkian, seen as a moderate, eager to end a measure damaging to the economy. However, Pezeshkian does not have the final say on such issues. Yaghoub Rezazadeh, a member of Iran's national security commission, told Hamshahri daily that the final decision rests with the Supreme National Security Council under hard-liner Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr.
Earlier Tuesday, Iran's judiciary suspended a fledgling presidential body that had ordered the restoration of the Internet. The Special Headquarters for Organizing and Governing the Country's Cyberspace, formed by Pezeshkian on May 12, had reached a decision to restore the Internet, according to government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei was killed at the start of the war, remains the country's top figure.
Reactions
Some Iranians expressed joy on social media over the restored connectivity. One user on X wrote, YouTube without a VPN!!! Oh my God, am I dreaming? Another said, Hello my dear Twitter, using the former name for X.
