Iranian President Orders Reopening of International Internet Access, State Media Reports

Reuters

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iranian 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 U.S. and Israel.

The report cited the head of public relations at Iran’s Communications ⁠Ministry.

Most Iranians have been unable to access the global internet for 87 consecutive days, according to internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks on Monday, with only a limited number of citizens able to connect through expensive and sophisticated VPN services designed to bypass restrictions.

Iranian authorities initially imposed an internet blackout on 8 January in response to nationwide anti-government protests. Although connections gradually returned to near-normal levels in February, a new blackout was introduced following the start of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on 28 February.

Even under normal circumstances, access to the global internet in Iran remains heavily restricted through widespread censorship of websites and online platforms. Authorities have increasingly relied on a domestic intranet system to provide digital services without depending on the worldwide web, particularly for schools, which are currently operating through online learning programmes.



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