Iran has imposed severe internet restrictions as anti-government protests escalate, leading to widespread communication blackouts and heightened global concern. Authorities have cut or heavily filtered access across major cities, aiming to suppress information flow amid reports of mass casualties and intensified crackdowns.

What’s Happening in Iran

• Nationwide internet blackouts began as protests surged, with connectivity in Tehran and other major cities sharply reduced or fully cut.
• NetBlocks and other monitoring groups confirm that Iran is experiencing one of its longest and most severe shutdowns, with outages surpassing 400 hours in some regions.
• Authorities are using the blackout to suppress dissent, hinder communication, and limit the spread of protest footage.

Why the Restrictions Are Intensifying

• The protests—sparked by economic collapse and political grievances—have grown into a nationwide movement calling for regime change.
• Security forces have responded with mass arrests and lethal force, with activist groups reporting thousands killed.
• The government is increasingly relying on “absolute digital isolation”, a strategy that may signal a long-term shift toward a tightly controlled national intranet.

Economic and Social Impact

• The shutdown is costing Iran an estimated $35.7 million per day, severely damaging commerce and online services.
• Online sales have dropped by 80%, and the Tehran Stock Exchange has suffered massive losses.

What This Means Going Forward

• Experts warn that Iran may be moving toward a permanent, government-controlled internet, granting full access only to approved individuals.
• Even as partial connectivity returns in some areas, access remains heavily filtered, and most citizens remain cut off from the global internet.

Iranian authorities cut off phone service and internet access Thursday in the capital and in several parts of the country as mass protests and chanting against the government continue, with dozens of people killed in the demonstrations and thousands arrested. Multiple sources in Tehran told Davfly.com the internet was down in the capital.

The NetBlocks monitoring System said Thursday evening local time in Iran that its live data showed Iran was “now in the midst of a nationwide internet blackout; the incident follows a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests across the country and hindered the public’s right to communicate at a critical moment.”