Following over 2,000 hours of government-imposed internet blackouts, there are indications that connectivity in Iran is slowly returning as of Tuesday, albeit at significantly reduced levels.
The nation’s population of over 90 million has experienced internet outages for most of 2026, starting from a blackout that began on February 28, coinciding with military operations launched by Israel and the United States. This followed an earlier shutdown imposed after mass protests in January. The recent restoration efforts appear to have been initiated by Iranian government officials, although this could be a temporary measure.
While certain Iranian networks seem to have begun connecting to the global internet, experts warn that access remains far below the more limited restoration permitted at the end of January and throughout February, not to mention drastically lower than the standard levels of internet connectivity seen prior to these disruptions in December 2025. Internet monitoring authorities, such as Kentik, NetBlocks, and Cloudflare, have started documenting this partial restoration since early afternoon local time on Tuesday.
Amir Rashidi, a cybersecurity expert with the Miaan Group, noted, “We can see some traffic coming from Iran. Although some service providers have resumed operations, it remains premature to predict the long-term situation. After the January protests, various providers were reconnected, yet roughly half of the nation’s traffic stayed offline.”
Doug Madory, who oversees internet analysis at Kentik, observed a stagnation in mobile network recovery. However, he reported progress among fixed-line providers, particularly the Telecommunication Company of Iran’s fiber-optic services around Tehran, which shows significant improvement.
The initial nationwide internet shutdown in January was a response to public unrest over economic conditions, during which the regime suppressed protests with deadly force. Subsequently, a total loss of connectivity occurred at the end of February amid escalating tensions from military operations involving the U.S. and Israel, impacting millions and complicating communication as well as news dissemination related to the situation. This limited reconnection is unfolding concurrently with ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations for a more permanent resolution to hostilities.
In the past decade, the Iranian government has invested heavily in controlling online access and censoring information, while also creating an alternative national internet to replace the global web. This initiative encompasses homegrown technologies, including surveillance-heavy search engines and messaging platforms. Nonetheless, the regime’s control systems often act as blunt instruments rather than precise tools, and it remains uncertain whether their inefficiency stems from technical constraints or political turbulence.
The Supreme National Security Council of Iran ordered the latest internet shutdown in late February coinciding with the escalation of conflict. Subsequently, a group led by President Masoud Pezeshkian directed the restoration of connectivity on Monday, though this decision faced legal challenges within Iran’s High Court. The Iranian communications minister indicated that restoration efforts will proceed in line with directives from the president, with steps being taken to restore services within 24 hours.
Rashidi concluded, “We are witnessing an uptick in traffic from Iran, but the outcome of the existing power struggles remains to be seen. The legal challenges to the president’s order have implications within the political landscape, complicating the dynamics at play.”