Internet Shutdowns

Starting from the 12th day of widespread protest in the country, Internet traffic in Iran dropped to near zero around 20:00 local time (16:30 UTC) on 8 January 2026. Many local websites became unreachable as well, including the websites of the main local news agencies.The shutdown was implemented through cutting almost all connectivity to Iran. It is not clear if local services are still running and available. As of 13:00 UTC 18 January, access to Google web search appears to have been restored, while traffic to other Google services, and what is monitored by Cloudflare and IODA appear to be at similar levels to the full blackout.Local reports from 17 January indicated that access to Iranian messaging applications will be made available for authorized and verified channels on Eitaa, iGap, Rubika, and Soroush Plus.Even though the service is not officially available in the country, IranWire reported that the Iranian government managed to interfere with Starlink service as well.The significant Internet disruption characterized by widespread access limitations and periods of instability. The incident affected daily life across the country, disrupting work, education, healthcare coordination, and economic activity.While authorities acknowledged the impacts and announced plans to restore access, connectivity was re‑enabled unevenly, with selective access provided to certain sectors and organizations. Independent network measurement organizations observed sharp declines in traffic and connectivity, followed by partial and asymmetric restoration rather than a full return to baseline conditions.Alongside restoration efforts, officials announced mitigation measures and compensation plans, while parallel policy discussions continued around national Internet infrastructure and managed access frameworks.