National shutdown

In an interview with AlJazeera , Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of Iran, admitted that shutting down access to the Internet came following what he called terrorist attacks from 8 January. However, in the same interview he mentioned that the terrorist were arrested and the country now is calm and in peace, but the Internet is still cut as of 13 January.

Internet disruptions in Iran during this period had wide‑ranging social and economic consequences. Local media reported significant impacts on daily life, including workers being unable to perform online tasks and students facing difficulties submitting coursework and participating in virtual examinations due to unstable or restricted connectivity (source).

Access limitations also affected public spaces and shared facilities. Reports from public libraries described prolonged periods without Internet access, highlighting challenges for students and residents who rely on such spaces as their primary means of connectivity (source). In parallel, some media outlets published guidance aimed at helping individuals and businesses manage essential activities during Internet shutdowns (source).

Several government bodies publicly acknowledged the effects of the disruptions on employment and economic activity. The Minister of Communications stated that efforts were underway to restore full Internet access as soon as possible and addressed concerns about losses incurred during the disruption period (source; source). Official estimates cited direct economic losses of approximately 500 billion tomans per day, while acknowledging that indirect losses were likely significantly higher. For comparison, the Internet Society’s NetLoss Calculator estimates the daily economic cost of an Internet shutdown in Iran at approximately USD 1.27 million.

Professional groups also raised concerns regarding Internet access. Medical professionals reportedly called for the rapid restoration of connectivity, citing impacts on healthcare coordination and service delivery (source). Additional reporting documented broader effects on employment and young workers (source).

During the disruption period, access to the global Internet was selectively restored for certain sectors. Officials announced that stable connectivity had been enabled for specific groups, including approximately 180 shipping and logistics companies in three cities (source). Authorities also described technical measures intended to support managed restoration, such as assigning fixed IP addresses to companies and allowing these to be added to access allow‑lists (source).

To mitigate economic impacts, the government announced financial support measures, including loans to knowledge‑based companies intended to cover up to three months of salaries as compensation for Internet shutdown‑related losses (source). In parallel, members of parliament called for compensation related to mobile Internet packages purchased during periods of service disruption (source).

Alongside discussions of restoration and compensation, some officials reiterated plans to expand national Internet infrastructure initiatives, including renewed emphasis on a domestic Internet framework and the development of a national search engine (source; source). Other officials reportedly raised questions regarding delays in implementing shutdown orders during the incident, indicating continued internal scrutiny of shutdown execution and governance (source).