Internet Shutdowns

• Ongoing

  National shutdown

  Timeline: * 8 January 2026 — Nationwide shutdown begins: Iran imposes a near-total internet blackout on the 12th day of nationwide protests. Many local websites also became unreachable, including those of the main local news agencies.* 28 January 2026 — Partial, uneven restoration: Authorities relax some restrictions, but connectivity returns only in a patchwork and heavily filtered form.* Mid-February 2026 — Degraded and unstable connectivity: National internet traffic recovers only to ~50–60% of normal levels; VPN services remain erratic and unreliable.* 28 February 2026 — New shutdown during hostilities: Following U.S.–Israel airstrikes, Cloudflare Radar confirms traffic in Iran drops to nearly zero, indicating a fresh, state-enforced blackout.

  Iran

  • Start 8 January 2026 16:30 UTC
  • End Ongoing
  • Total Duration 72 days

June 2025

• Past

  National shutdown

  From the morning of Friday, 13 June, Internet in Iran suffered disruptions with the Iranian Ministry of Communications announcement that these restrictions are temporary. The measurements show further drop between 14:00 and 20:00 on 17 June, followed by a near total shutdown as of 12:50 UTC on 18 June. There was an increase in traffic as of 03:00 UTC on 21 June indicating a partial restoration of service. Full service appeared to be restored as of 05:00 UTC on 25 June.

  Iran

  • Start 13 June 2025 07:00 UTC
  • End 25 June 2025 05:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 11 days, 22 hours

November 2023

• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Kurdistan Province

  An Internet shutdown occurred in the Kurdistan Province of Iran from around 12:00 to 14:30 local time. Reports indicate this coincided with the Iranian President's visit to the province. It's been over a year since the death of a young woman in police custody sparked protests across the country. Iranians in Kurdish cities have since faced periodic Internet disruptions, service blocking, and total shutdowns to 'quell' such protests or chances of protest. As we repeatedly write about on Pulse, Internet shutdowns harm a country’s economy and society.

  Iran

  • Start 2 November 2023 12:00 UTC
  • End 2 November 2023 14:30 UTC
  • Total Duration 2 hours

September 2023

• Past

  National shutdown

  Authorities in Iran is imposing Internet shutdowns in the Sistan and Baluchistan region on 29 September 2023. We have repeatedly written about Internet shutdowns in Iran on Pulse. Internet shutdowns cause great harm to a country’s economy and society.

  Iran

  • Start 29 September 2023 07:00 UTC
  • End 29 September 2023 10:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 3 hours

March 2023

• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Sistan and Baluchestan

  Internet connectivity was suspended in the Sistan and Baluchestan regions of Iran on Friday, 31 March. This follows similar shutdowns that have happened each Friday since xxx and reportedly coincide with Friday prayers and protests held at the same time. Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact citizens' ability to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country or other countries.

  Iran

  • Start 31 March 2023 07:30 UTC
  • End 31 March 2023 10:30 UTC
  • Total Duration 3 hours

January 2023

• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Internet services were suspended in several regions in Iran on 19 January. Reports later determined that the Internet had been deliberately suspended to allow the questions of the national University entrance exams to be distributed. The #KeepItOn coalition, of which the Internet Society is a member, urges authorities to abstain from implementing Internet shutdowns during exams, noting a lack of evidence demonstrating their impact on exam cheating.

  Iran

  • Start 19 January 2023 04:30 UTC
  • End 19 January 2023 08:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 3 hours

December 2022

• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Kordestan

  Internet services were suspended in Kurdistan Province in Iran since the beginning of the #IranProtest from 17/12/2022 to 21/12/2022. Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact the ability of citizens to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country, or in other countries.

  Iran

  • Start 17 December 2022 21:00 UTC
  • End 21 December 2022 04:45 UTC
  • Total Duration 3 days, 7 hours

October 2022

• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Kordestan

  Authorities shut down the Internet throughout Kurdish-majority cities and towns in Iran’s western provinces following further anti-government protests. The shutdown lasted 22 hours.Iranians have faced a wave of Internet disruptions, service blocking and total shutdowns since September 2022, following the death of a young woman in police custody which sparked protests across the country. Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact the ability of citizens to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country, or in other countries.

  Iran

  • Start 26 October 2022 07:00 UTC
  • End 27 October 2022 05:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 22 hours

September 2022

• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Sistan and Baluchestan

  Iran

  • Start 30 September 2022 12:00 UTC
  • End 10 October 2022 00:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 9 days, 12 hours
• Past

  National shutdown

  Iranians experienced multiple Internet disruptions over a 12-day period in September 2022, following the death of a young woman in police custody, which sparked protests across the country. Starting on 21 September, wide-scale disruptions were observed on mobile Internet providers’ networks with shutdowns occurring daily from noon to well into the evening.Access to a range of services and applications were blocked, including communication services WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Skype, and Instagram. Access to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store was limited in an attempt to hinder people from downloading Virtual Private Network (VPN) apps, which can help users circumvent blocking.The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), which monitors global Internet censorship, reported an increase in incidents of blocking of DNS over HTTPS (DoH). DoH enables Internet users to bypass Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and government-controlled domain name services, helping them to avoid simple forms of blocking so they can stay online. Iranian officials stated that access to the Internet would be restricted until protests ceased.

  Iran

  • Start 21 September 2022 15:50 UTC
  • End 3 October 2022 20:30 UTC
  • Total Duration 12 days, 4 hours