Iran’s Internet Blackout: A Country Disconnected
WANA (Jan 17) – From the night of January 8, 2026, when international internet access was cut off for the fourth time in Iran’s history, the country’s population faced a new challenge. This time, the shutdown—described as a security measure following domestic unrest and external threats—not only severed millions of people’s connection with the outside world, but for a relatively extended period, even limited access to domestic messaging platforms.
In addition to the internet, mobile SMS services were also disrupted. From Thursday of the previous week until last night, sending and receiving text messages was impossible.
The internet shutdown led to a complete halt in online communications and internet-based calls between Iran and the rest of the world. With the internet fully cut, no foreign websites were accessible, including Google, Yahoo, or Gmail email services, social media platforms, or messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and X.
Under current conditions, only Iran’s domestic internet network is connected. Even within this network, however, local messaging apps such as Baleh and Eitaa (Iranian platforms) are largely down and nonfunctional. Only a few channels belonging to some domestic news agencies remain active on these platforms.
Cars burn in a street during the protests erupt over the collapse of the currency’s value in Tehran, Iran, January 8, 2026. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
Even media outlets and journalists have been affected, with their internet access cut. Only a handful of news agencies, including Fars, Tasnim, and Mehr, still have internet access.
On Thursday, January 8, and for several days afterward, phone services in some areas of Tehran and other cities experienced outages or disruptions between 10:00 p.m. and midnight. From that Thursday onward, international phone calls to and from Iran were also blocked, although this restriction was lifted a few days ago.
These protests and unrest began around three weeks earlier, on December 28, in Tehran and several other cities. They were triggered by a sharp rise in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar and protests in Tehran’s main bazaar.
Previously, Iran’s Ministry of Communications issued a statement confirming the internet shutdown and acknowledging that it had caused “some difficulties for the public.” The ministry stated that the decision had been made by “competent security authorities.” It also promised that it was seriously pursuing the restoration of the country’s internet connection.
Officials have yet to announce a specific timeline for reconnecting the internet, despite the fact that unrest in Tehran has now completely subsided.
This raises a fundamental question: are these shutdowns a sign of a permanent policy pursued in the name of national security, or will they instead deepen public dissatisfaction and Iran’s confrontation with the global community?
Internet shutdowns in Iran are a strategic and complex phenomenon that has recurred over recent years, leaving profound impacts on daily life, businesses, and the country’s national security.
Seven years have passed since Iran’s first experience of a widespread internet blackout in November 2019, when protests erupted over a sudden increase in fuel prices.
At that time, the Supreme National Security Council ordered a nationwide internet shutdown to control the situation. Beyond disrupting communications, this blackout cut off access to global news and information—an increasingly intolerable condition in today’s fast-moving information age.
People walk on a street as protests erupt over the collapse of the currency’s value in Tehran, Iran, January 5, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
At the time, officials said the shutdown was solely due to security considerations and crisis management. Iran’s national internet, designed to function during such crises, proved incapable of meeting people’s basic needs. The loss of international connectivity left the public largely uninformed about global developments and intensified crises of public distrust and internal pressure.
The shutdown isolated Iranian society and provoked strong international backlash, including severe criticism from human rights organizations.
In September 2022, following the death of Mahsa Amini, far more extensive nationwide protests erupted. Once again, the internet was cut for several days, and widely used platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram were filtered.
Government officials justified the shutdown by citing “riots” and the need to preserve national security. The internet blackout quickly became a tool for restricting the flow of news.
During that period, foreign and satellite media were able to dominate Iran’s media landscape with relative ease. This highlighted a weakness in managing information crises: while domestic internet access was restricted, external media succeeded in shaping public opinion to their advantage.
A picture of a girl who takes off a scarf as a sign of protest against the mandatory hijab. Social Media / WANA News Agency
The third major internet shutdown occurred in June 2025, following the outbreak of the 12-day war launched by Israel against Iran. During this period, the internet blackout was framed as a security measure to prevent Israeli drones from exploiting information flows and military operations.
At the time, Fatemeh Mohajerani, the Iranian government’s spokesperson, said the shutdown was necessary to “protect public security,” adding that the national internet was essential for safeguarding military information. The blackout lasted 12 days and ended only after the war concluded.
During this period, the Iranian government managed to keep some domestic media outlets active, despite the lack of free access to foreign information, to provide the public with essential updates. This phase also reflected Iran’s strategy of using its national internet as a security tool against external threats.
Fire of Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot is seen following the Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
The fourth international internet shutdown, in January 2026, occurred while the country was facing sensitive political and economic conditions. Domestic unrest and international threats led to a complete cutoff of international internet access, and for a time, even Iran’s domestic internet was entirely shut down.
According to Ehsan Chitsaz, a deputy minister of communications, during the 12-day war, each day of internet shutdown caused approximately 500 billion tomans in losses to businesses.
These costs have continued to rise with each subsequent shutdown. Internet disruptions severely affect commercial, educational, and social processes and carry significant psychological consequences. Under such conditions, economic and livelihood pressures can intensify public dissatisfaction.
Following the latest shutdown, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said at a press conference: “We consider free access to information a right of all people. Recent limitations were not the government’s preferred choice, but as the minister of communications stated, they were decisions made by security institutions due to the current security situation.
Naturally, we believe people have the right to free access to information, and we hope this right can be restored as soon as possible.”
Still, officials have not announced a clear timeline for restoring internet connectivity, even though unrest in Tehran has fully ended.
One of the central issues raised by internet shutdowns is the tension between security and freedom of information. Authorities argue that internet restrictions are necessary for national security, yet these measures simultaneously limit individual and social freedoms.
The blocking of domestic platforms—once promoted as alternatives to foreign networks—shows that even indigenous systems are unable to fully and effectively meet public needs during crises.
People walk on a street as protests erupt over the collapse of the currency’s value in Tehran, Iran, January 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
According to media analyst Mohammadreza Asnafi, when messaging apps and the internet are shut down, the media space quickly shifts to foreign outlets, where there is little oversight or moderation. This can fuel rumors and heighten public anxiety.
Asnafi stresses that in such situations, officials must be transparent with the public and provide clear, well-documented explanations for restrictions.
If this trend continues, it could itself become a source of public dissatisfaction and erode trust in the government. Repeated internet shutdowns not only create immediate problems but also lay the groundwork for new social challenges.
While the government claims these measures are taken to protect public security, many citizens suffer serious harm from frequent disruptions. As Asnafi puts it, “Cutting the internet does not ensure security; it becomes a security threat in itself.”
Internet shutdowns in Iran are a bitter reality that has repeatedly occurred. While such measures may appear necessary for security and crisis control, the key question is whether Iran can develop a more effective use of its national internet to manage crises, or whether this policy will evolve into a permanent strategy of disconnecting society from the world.
What is clear is that, in the long term, internet shutdowns can deepen public dissatisfaction and weaken Iran’s relations with the global community. Iran will need to consider more sustainable alternatives for managing internet-related crises—solutions that are both more effective and less burdensome for ordinary people.
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