Iran Partially Restores Internet Access After 88-Day Blackout Amid War With U.S. and Israel

Some sources reported the internet blackout lasted 88 days, while others mentioned a near-90-day blackout.

The exact date of the restoration of internet access varied between sources, with some reporting it as May 26, 2026, and others as May 27, 2026.

Some sources indicated that the restoration of internet access was partial, while others suggested it was more extensive.

Iranians are back online after a monthslong shutdown but still face heavy restrictions  The Washington Post

Iranians are back online after a monthslong shutdown but still face heavy restrictions  AP News

After 88 days of a near-total internet blackout, Iranians are slowly reconnecting, but to the same heavily censored, regulated network they had before.

Iranians isolated by a long internet shutdown imposed by the authorities during the war with the US and Israel expressed joy as social media came back to life in a country where even in normal times access to the outside world remains restricted via censorship of many websites. “Ive never been so happy in my life to see Telegram notifications,” Kian Galvani, an engineering student, wrote on his account on X. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order to reopen international internet access, Iranian state media reported on Monday, citing an official after a near-90-day blackout. The report cited the head of public relations at Irans Communications Ministry. The mechanism for how and when Iran would reconnect to the global web following the decision was unknown. Authorities initially imposed an internet blackout from January 8 in a crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests which US-based HRANA rights group said killed thousands. Connections were gradually restored in February, before a new blackout was initiated following the start of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28. The longest internet blackout in the history of the world has ended, greetings after 88 days, Alireza Jafarzadeh, an Iranian editor, posted on his account on Instagram. Iranian Communications and Information Technology Minister Seyyid Sattar Hashemi said on Wednesday that “the Iranian people deserve free communication, a bright future, and a dynamic economy.” “The president’s commitment to the reopening of the internet and restoring communication stability is a clear sign of rationality and standing with the people”, Hashemi added, according to state media. Businesses hit hard by blackout Prolonged shutdowns both restrict internet freedoms and hurt businesses that depend heavily on social media to operate, taking a toll on a fragile economy battered by the war and long-standing US sanctions. Keyumars, an Iranian computer programmer, who asked that only his first name be used due to security concerns, told Reuters that many people in Iran who ran businesses through Instagram and Telegram due to the high cost of renting a physical store lost everything during this blackout and “have to start again from far below zero while carrying heavy debts, losses, and lost customers”. Alp Toker, director of internet monitoring group NetBlocks, told Reuters on Wednesday that the process of restoration could take hours, days, or even weeks in provinces. He added that connectivity remains unstable and internet access heavily restricted, with platforms such as WhatsApp still inaccessible without a VPN. “Businesses are suffering, small businesses, people aren’t able to get in touch with loved ones. And there’s also, I think, a sense of being left behind. A lot has happened in the world,” said Toker. Despite the welcome move, Iranians remain wary of ongoing restrictions. “We are a long way from achieving the world-class version of the internet that the Iranian people deserve civic and social activities in the heart of this darkness are the pulse of our survival,” Iranian citizen Alireza Naji posted on his X account.

'Greetings after 88 days': Iranians reconnect after long internet shutdown  The Straits Times

After three months, the government is letting people connect with the world again. But not everyone has access, and those who do wonder how long it will last.

PARIS: Iranian authorities partially restored inte­rnet connectivity on Tuesday after an almost three-month shutdown imp­osed after the US-Israel invasion on Feb 28. The shutdown left Iran­ians largely cut off from international networks, with only a domestic intranet working for daily tasks like shopping, ride-hailing and education. “Live metrics show a partial restoration to internet connectivity in Iran on day 88,” of the shutdown, monitor NetBlocks said on X, saying it was “unclear” if this meant a permanent end to the “longest nationwide internet shutdown in modern history”. Earlier during the day, Iran’s judiciary suspended a fledging presidential body that had ordered restoration of the internet. Judiciary suspends a presidential body that took the decision The Special Headq­uarters for Organising and Governing the Coun­try’s Cyberspace was formed on May 12 by Pezeshkian. The body had on Monday reached a decision to “restore the internet”, according to government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani, after local media reported that Pezeshkian had decreed the measure. Vice President Moha­mmad Reza Aref said in a post on X that the “first step toward free and regulated access to cyberspace has been taken”, adding that the demands of Iranians “will be fulfilled”. State news agency IRNA and Fars news agency said “full international internet connectivity has been restored” for users of fixed broadband services, but this had not been confirmed by internet monitor NetBlocks. Witnesses inside Iran said mobile internet remains cut, but home internet with Wi-Fi had been restored, even though VPNs were still needed to access some social media. “A few minutes ago I could open international websites using my home internet provider,” said a 22-year-old woman from the western city of Kermanshah. A user in Tehran said the internet service for his company has been restored, but “mobile connection remained the same” without any access. Others reported that general access remained extremely patchy. Closure in January The shutdown imposed three months ago followed a similar blackout imp­osed on Jan 8 after the country was rocked by mass anti-government protests. Activists said that the January closure was aimed at masking the scale of a crackdown on the protests, as well as preventing more demonstrations. Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2026

Iran restores internet access after nearly 90 -day blackout  Middle East Eye

Iran partially restores internet access after months-long shutdown  The Straits Times

Iran restores global internet access after months of restrictions  Anadolu Ajansı

Iran started restoring access to the internet – a sign that the longest shutdown of its kind in history is easing amid a diplomatic push to end the war with the US. Monitoring group NetBlocks said there was a “partial restoration” on Tuesday after 88 days of near-total blackout on the national network, showing connectivity had risen from close to zero to around 35 per cent of typical levels. “In line with the esteemed President’s mission and in fulfilment of the government’s promise, the first...

Iran starts to restore internet access after months-long blackout  Financial Times

Internet access has been cut off in the country since the start of the war in late February.

Iran's vice president Mohammad Reza Aref said the government has taken the first steps to restore internet access. Meanwhile, Tehran warned US against "violation" of ceasefire. Follow DW.

Iran partially restores internet access after months-long shutdown  France 24

Iranian authorities on Tuesday partially restored internet access after an almost three-month nationwide shutdown imposed during the war with Israel and the United States. While home broadband connections resumed in some areas, mobile internet remained largely blocked, leaving many Iranians still reliant on VPNs to access international websites and social media.

Iran partially restores internet after 88-day blackout  Middle East Eye

Organizations that track online traffic confirmed an uptick in activity on Tuesday, as Iranians reconnected to the global internet after a government-imposed shutdown.

Iran President orders end to months-long internet blackout  The National

Iran Signals Potential Easing of Internet Blackout Amid US Talks  Bloomberg.com

Authorities ⁠initially imposed an internet blackout from January 8 in response to nationwide ‌anti-government protests before a new blackout was initiated following the start of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on ‌February 28

Iran’s president orders restoration of internet access after 87-day blackout: Iranian state media  WION

According to the international internet monitoring service NetBlocks, internet has been practically inaccessible in Iran for more than 86 days

⁠Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued an order to reopen international internet access, Iranian state media reported on Monday, citing an official after a ‌near-90-day blackout in the wake of the war against US and Israel. The report cited the head of public relations at Iran’s Communications Ministry. The mechanism for how and when Iran would reconnect to ⁠the global web following the decision was unknown. “The decree aimed at restoring internet access to its pre-January state was...

Iranian president orders restoration of internet access to pre-protest level: Report  Anadolu Ajansı

Iran's president orders reopening of international internet access - report  The Jerusalem Post

Iran's president orders reopening of international internet access, state media reports  The Straits Times

Iran's president orders reopening of international internet access, state media reports  Reuters

Iran orders internet restoration after months-long blackout  Middle East Eye

Iran’s president orders reopening of international internet access  Al Arabiya English