Iran has begun restoring internet access following a three-month blackout
Iranian authorities are gradually restoring access to the global internet for tens of millions of citizens following an unprecedented three-month internet blackout. The blackout was imposed amid military tensions in the region.
The restrictions on internet access took effect on February 28, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
According to the monitoring group NetBlocks, the first signs of restored internet connectivity have already been recorded in the country.
It is reported that internet traffic in Iran has begun to gradually increase, with some providers already resuming operations, but the process of restoring access is proceeding slowly.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref stated:
“In accordance with the mission of our esteemed president and in fulfillment of the government’s promise, the first step has been taken toward free and regulated access to cyberspace.”
At the same time, the restoration of internet access has caused internal conflict among Iran’s leadership.
President Masoud Pezeshkian established a special government task force to oversee the unblocking of the internet, but conservative forces have opposed this decision.
According to local media reports, complaints regarding the president’s actions have been filed with the Iranian judicial system. The court has temporarily suspended the work of the government task force on restoring internet access.
Cybersecurity expert Amir Rashidi noted that the situation remains unstable for now.
“We are currently seeing an increase in traffic from Iran. Some providers have resumed operations, but it is too early to say for certain what will happen,” he said.
Experts also point out that a similar situation occurred last January during protests in Iran. At that time, after access was restored, internet traffic was only about half of its usual level.
Earlier, Iran managed to quickly resume production of ballistic missiles, strike drones, and other critical weapons systems following large-scale airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel.
Iran agreed to ship enriched uranium to China — Al Arabiya
Iran has threatened the U.S. with the opening of “new fronts” in the event of further strikes.
