Internet Starts to Return in Iran After 3-Month Blackout
6 hours ago
- #Internet Censorship
- #US-Iran Relations
- #Iran Politics
- Iran's internet has partially returned after over 2,000 hours of blackouts, but connectivity remains significantly lower than previous levels and is not certain to be permanent.
- The blackouts were government-imposed, with one starting in January after protests and another in February during war with the US and Israel, severely impacting communication, the economy, and news flow.
- Reconnection appears ordered by President Pezeshkian's cyberspace group, but faces legal challenges, highlighting an internal power struggle within Iran's government.
- Experts note only limited restoration, primarily from fixed-line providers in Tehran, while mobile networks remain largely disconnected, and caution against expecting a full return to pre-blackout internet access.
- Iran's long-term digital freedom is under threat due to authoritarian control and a domestic intranet project, and the future of connectivity may depend on ongoing US-Iran negotiations to end the war.