Iran Partially Restores Internet Access After 88-Day Nationwide Shutdown

Iranian authorities began restoring limited internet connectivity on Tuesday after an 88-day nationwide blackout. Monitoring group NetBlocks reported the change on day 88 of the shutdown, the longest recorded in modern history. Internet monitors said the partial restoration followed an order by President Masoud Pezeshkian directing the Ministry of Communications to resume access.

Iranian official media cited the ministry in confirming the directive.

Tehran described the return of service as incomplete.

A 46-year-old man told CNN he could connect only through a VPN and warned others not to expect full access. An Iranian woman who participated in earlier protests posted on X that officials were staging a spectacle over basic connectivity. She compared the situation to countries that do not lecture citizens about routine internet use.

Other users marked the change by posting selfies on Instagram for the first time in months. One resident told CNN they expected more people to come online within 24 hours once VPN connections were arranged.

Iran began restricting access in late December 2025 after protests over inflation and currency collapse. U.S. and Israeli military strikes. NetBlocks said filtering systems known as the “filternet” remain active and that WhatsApp access still requires circumvention tools.

Some users remain offline. Internet governance in Iran is centralized under the Supreme Council for Cyberspace, established in 2012. A small number of users rely on smuggled Starlink terminals or approved connections while most depend on costly VPNs.