Some Iranians have started regaining internet access after the outbreak of war with the US and Israel caused an 88-day blackout. However, the restored connection comes with increased restrictions.
On 26 May 2026, Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran's First Vice President, posted on the X platform that internet signals have begun returning to normal in parts of the country after being cut off for more than 88 days since the conflict with the US and Israel erupted.
“The first step toward free and supervised access to cyberspace has begun,” Aref stated.
Netblocks and Kentik, two internet network monitoring organizations, reported a "partial" restoration of internet service around 13:00 GMT on Tuesday. However, Kentik cautioned that most of the country's networks remain offline.
The Iranian government ordered a total internet shutdown after the US and Israel launched attacks on 28 February, citing prevention of espionage, data theft, and cyberattacks. This marked one of the longest national internet blackouts ever recorded worldwide.
A content creator in Tehran told the BBC that he started reconnecting to the internet via home WiFi on Tuesday and said, “The most important point is that some of my income is about to return.”
Netblocks stated it is still unclear if the internet restoration will continue steadily. They told the BBC that the pattern of signal return matches previous experiences of lifting shutdowns, where full recovery can take several hours.
“Internet access has not yet fully returned nationwide and varies by region,” said Isik Meter, Netblocks' Director of Research, on Tuesday.
Meter added there are signs of “more intense content blocking and filtering” compared to before January, when similar internet shutdowns occurred during government crackdowns on anti-government protesters that resulted in many deaths. Additionally, restrictions on messaging apps like WhatsApp have increased.
“This means many families may still face difficulties communicating with loved ones,” Meter said. “Historically, every time internet service is restored after a shutdown in Iran, the signal returns with heavier restrictions and stricter controls.”
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Source:bbc