Internet starts coming back in Iran after months-long blackout

Internet access has been cut off in the country since the start of the war in late February. Iran internet starts coming back after months-long blackout Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Internet access was shut off in Iran at the start of the war A person in Iran holding a smartphone. They are wearing a big red jacket, a black hat, a black face mask and glasses. Internet starts coming back in Iran after months-long blackout Internet access has started to be restored in Iran after being cut off almost three months ago, the country's first vice-president has said. "The first step toward free and regulated access to cyberspace has been taken," Mohammad Reza Aref wrote on X on Tuesday. Internet monitoring groups Netblocks and Kentik reported "partial" restoration around 13:00 GMT, though the latter warned most networks were still down. The Iranian government cut internet access following the launch of US and Israeli attacks on 28 February. Officials suggested the aim was to prevent surveillance, espionage and cyber-attacks. It is one of the longest-running national internet shutdowns ever recorded worldwide. A content creator from Tehran told the BBC that he had been able to connect to the internet using his home WiFi on Tuesday. "The main point is, some of my income will come back," he said. A woman in a red headscarf looks at a phone which is running a VPN app How Iranians are evading internet blocks to contact family abroad A white rectangular Starlink device rests inside a brown cardboard box. The hands of a person wearing thin blue plastic gloves and dark clothing are touching it at the edges, as if lifting it out of the box. The clandestine network smuggling Starlink tech into Iran to beat internet blackout Boats in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Oman, with mountains behind Iran condemns US strikes as 'gross violation' of ceasefire Netblocks said it was unclear whether the internet return would be sustained, and told the BBC it was consistent with what it had seen when previous blackouts were lifted - where restoration could take hours. "Access is not universally back to its original state, with some regional variation," said the global internet tracker’s research director Isik Mater on Tuesday. She added that there were signs of "more extensive filtering" than prior to January - when a similar blackout was imposed during the regime's deadly crackdown on anti-government protests - "including additional restrictions to messaging apps like WhatsApp". "This means families may still struggle to contact loved ones for the time being." Mater said: "Historically, each time internet access has been restored after an internet shutdown in Iran it has come back with heavier restrictions and tighter controls." A graphic showing internet traffic to Iran between December 2025 and May 2026, with a small uptick towards the end of the x axis indicating increased traffic after being flat since 28 February. When the US and Iranian attacks started and internet access was cut off, Iran had only enjoyed full access to the outside world for only about a month following the January shutdown. Some Iranians have sought to get around the restrictions using methods like expensive virtual private networks and smuggling satellite technology into the country. After a ceasefire was agreed on 8 April, a so-called "internet pro" scheme was introduced by the Iranian government - a premium tier for businesses and professionals, offering higher-quality access for a fee and subject to identity verification. While some officials had said the scheme was not part of an official policy and was a temporary measure, it led to backlash and criticism. One of those who did not take up the offer - a doctor in the central city of Isfahan - told the BBC that she had been able to connect to the internet using her home WiFi on Tuesday. The network started to come back online as Iran condemned fresh US strikes against it earlier this week, branding them a "gross violation" of the ceasefire. The network started to come back online as Iran condemned fresh US strikes against it earlier this week, branding them a "gross violation" of the ceasefire The US said Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to place mines had been targeted with what it called "self-defence strikes" in southern Iran on Monday. Additional reporting by Richard Irvine-Brown, BBC Verify The attacks took place while Iranian and Qatari negotiators were in Doha for peace talks. The Israeli military hits targets in eastern Lebanon after the prime minister announces further strikes. The US secretary of state earlier said that an agreement could possibly come on Monday. US Central Command says the strikes were taken in "self-defence", while Iran reports it downed a US drone that entered its airspace. Saudi Arabia says that is 11,000 more than the number of Muslims who travelled to the Gulf kingdom last year. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum agrees to allow Iran to stay in the country during the World Cup, with the United States unwilling to host them. Trump said on Saturday that an agreement would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, without giving further details. The deal under discussion would involve a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, according to US media.