Iran Restores Internet Access Amid War Tensions

Iranian authorities have partially restored internet connectivity following an almost three-month shutdown. This move was made against the backdrop of ongoing war against Israel and the US. The shutdown had left Iranians largely disconnected from international networks, with only a domestic intranet functioning for daily tasks like shopping, ride-hailing, and education.

Netblocks, a monitor, reported on X that “Live metrics show a partial restoration to internet connectivity in Iran on day 88” of the shutdown. However, it remains unclear if this means the end of the “longest nationwide internet shutdown in modern history.”

Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on X that the first step toward free and regulated access to cyberspace has been taken, promising that Iranian demands will be fulfilled.

State news agency IRNA and Fars News Agency claimed full international internet connectivity had been restored for fixed broadband services users. However, this was not confirmed by NetBlocks.

Despite partial restoration of home internet with Wi-Fi, mobile internet remains cut, requiring VPNs to access some social media platforms. A user in Tehran reported that while his company’s internet service has been restored, the mobile connection remained unchanged without any access. Others noted general access remained extremely patchy.

The shutdown began on February 28 when war erupted and followed a similar blackout from January 8 during mass anti-government protests. Activists said the January closure was aimed at masking the scale of crackdowns on protests that left thousands dead according to rights groups, as well as preventing more demonstrations.

Doug Madory, head of internet analysis at US network monitoring firm Kentik, noted that Iran still has a long way to go to return to pre-January 8 levels of traffic volumes. The shutdown also caused debate inside Iran with President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration impatient to end the measure which was damaging for the economy.

However, final decisions on such issues rest with the Supreme National Security Council under hardliner Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr. The judiciary suspended a presidential body that had ordered restoration of internet connectivity on Tuesday.

The Special Headquarters for Organising and Governing the Country’s Cyberspace was formed by Pezeshkian on May 12, leading to the decision to restore internet access in Iran. Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei remains the country’s top figure.

Some Iranians expressed joy over social media about restored connectivity, with one user exclaiming “YouTube without a VPN!!! Oh my God, am I dreaming?” and another tweeting “Hello my dear Twitter.”