‘Greetings after 88 days’: Iranians reconnect after long internet shutdown

DUBAI/LONDON – Iranians, isolated by a long internet shutdown imposed by the authorities during the war with the US and Israel, expressed joy as social media came back to life in a country where even in normal times, access to the outside world remains restricted via censorship of many websites.

“I’ve never been so happy in my life to see Telegram notifications,” Mr Kian Galvani, an engineering student, wrote on his account on X.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order to reopen international internet access, the Iranian state media reported on May 25, citing an official after a near 90-day blackout. The report cited the head of public relations at Iran’s Communications Ministry.

The mechanism for how and when Iran would reconnect fully to the global web was not clear, although analysts said the decision to end the shutdown now was most likely driven at least in part by the economic impact of keeping businesses offline.

Dr Thomas Juneau, associate fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, said it could be turned off again swiftly if protests, like those in January that were initially sparked by economic hardship, erupted again, or if negotiations to end the war collapsed and fighting flared up.

The authorities initially imposed an internet blackout from Jan 8 in a crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests, which the US-based HRANA rights group said killed thousands. Connections were gradually restored in February, before a new blackout was initiated following the start of US-Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb 28.

“The longest internet blackout in the history of the world has ended, greetings after 88 days,” Mr Alireza Jafarzadeh, an Iranian editor, posted on his account on Instagram.

Iranian Communications and Information Technology Minister Seyyid Sattar Hashemi said on May 27 that “the Iranian people deserve free communication, a bright future and a dynamic economy”.

“The President’s commitment to the reopening of the internet and restoring communication stability is a clear sign of rationality and standing with the people,” Mr Hashemi added, according to state media.

Businesses hit hard by blackout

Prolonged shutdowns both restrict internet freedoms and hurt businesses that depend heavily on social media to operate, taking a toll on a fragile economy battered by the war and longstanding US sanctions.

Mr Keyumars, an Iranian computer programmer who asked that only his first name be used because of security concerns, told Reuters that many people in Iran who ran businesses through Instagram and Telegram owing to the high cost of renting a physical store “lost everything during this blackout” and “have to start again from far below zero – while carrying heavy debts, losses and lost customers”.

Mr Alp Toker, director of internet monitoring group NetBlocks, told Reuters on May 27 that the process of restoration could take hours, days or even weeks in provinces.

He added that connectivity remains unstable, and internet access is heavily restricted, with platforms such as WhatsApp still inaccessible without a virtual private network.

“Businesses are suffering, small businesses, people aren’t able to get in touch with loved ones. And there’s also, I think, a sense of being left behind. A lot has happened in the world,” said Mr Toker.

Iranians remain wary of ongoing restrictions.

“We are a long way from achieving the world-class version of the internet that the Iranian people deserve... Civic and social activities in the heart of this darkness are the pulse of our survival,” Iranian citizen Alireza Naji posted on his X account. REUTERS