Iran's President Orders Reopening of Internet Access After 87 Days of Blackout

TEHRAN, May 25: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the reopening of international internet access, according to state media reports on Monday, citing an official from the country’s Communications Ministry.

The report, attributed to the head of public relations at the ministry, comes after widespread restrictions left most citizens without access to the global internet for 87 days, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks. During this period, only a limited number of users were able to access the World Wide Web through costly virtual private networks (VPNs).

Authorities initially imposed a nationwide internet blackout on January 8 in response to anti-government protests, with partial restoration in February before another shutdown followed renewed tensions linked to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Iran has long maintained tight control over internet access, combining censorship of foreign websites with the development of a domestic intranet system to provide essential services. Schools, in particular, have continued operating online through the restricted network during the blackout period.