More than 92 million Iranians have been cut off from full internet access for over a week, marking one of the longest nationwide internet shutdowns ever recorded, according to digital rights and web monitoring experts. The blackout began last Thursday after Iran’s leadership ordered a sweeping shutdown of internet and phone services across the country in response to widespread anti government protests.
As of Thursday, the disruption had lasted more than 170 hours, surpassing previous shutdowns in Iran that stretched to about 163 hours in 2019 and 160 hours in 2025. Isik Mater, director of research at NetBlocks, said the current outage ranks as the third longest nationwide shutdown globally, behind Sudan’s 35 day blackout in 2021 and Mauritania’s 22 day shutdown in July 2024. He noted that Iran’s restrictions are among the most comprehensive ever observed, particularly given the size of the population affected.
Other researchers say the shutdown could climb even higher in global rankings. Zach Rosson of the digital rights group Access Now said available data suggests Iran’s current blackout is on track to enter the top ten longest internet shutdowns in history. Iran has repeatedly resorted to cutting off internet access during periods of unrest, a tactic that limits communication among protesters and restricts the flow of information to the outside world.
Human rights groups estimate that more than 600 protests have erupted across Iranian cities since the unrest began late last year. One U.S. based organization reports that at least 2,000 people may have been killed during the government’s violent crackdown. Although the initial shutdown also severed internet access for government institutions, including the foreign ministry, some limited connectivity has since been restored for parts of the economy such as banking systems and fuel payment services.
Despite the restrictions, a small and unknown number of Iranians have reportedly been accessing the internet through Starlink terminals smuggled into the country. Iranian authorities have since declared the devices illegal, jammed signals in entire neighborhoods, and confiscated equipment. The crisis has also heightened international tensions. The United States has warned of possible military action, redeployed naval forces to the Middle East, and reduced personnel in nearby Qatar, while the United Kingdom has closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff as Iran temporarily shut its airspace.