Iran’s internet blackout: Nation remains offline as protests and economic strain deepen

Iran remains largely cut off from the global internet weeks after authorities imposed a sweeping shutdown on 8 January 2026, reducing connectivity to about 1% of normal levels. Mobile, broadband and even satellite links have been heavily disrupted. Officials say the blackout is a security measure against foreign interference and unrest, but it has blocked independent reporting, drawn international criticism and made it harder to confirm what is happening on the ground.

The government has started to loosen some controls, with reports of limited access to services like Google and partial SMS restoration. Many users, however, still face erratic or tightly supervised connections, with some businesses reportedly allowed only 20 minutes of monitored online access a day to complete essential transactions. At the same time, Tehran is strengthening its state-run intranet, known as the National Information Network or "Halal Internet," while closing remaining gaps in the "filternet" to limit circumvention tools and amplify official messaging. Rights groups and the United Nations have called for full restoration of internet access, warning that prolonged disconnection can hide abuses and slow emergency response during one of Iran’s most unstable periods in decades.