TEHRAN — The Iranian government imposed a complete nationwide blackout of global internet access on February 28, 2026, severing connectivity for the country's 90 million people. Iran's rulers have refused to reverse the shutdown despite an uneasy truce with the United States and Israel, describing the measure as a wartime necessity.

Iranian authorities first cut internet access in January 2026 during mass anti-government protests, and the February blackout coincided with the launch of war operations by the U.S. and Israel. Before January 2026, Iranians could access the internet with content restrictions that blocked a large amount of material. The majority of Iranians can now reach only the national intranet, while senior government officials are awarded "white" SIM cards that grant access to the global internet.

"What makes Iran's shutdown unprecedented is the combination of scale and severity: an entire country of 90 million people with a developed digital economy deliberately reverted to a controlled national intranet," Mahsa Alimardani, associate director for technology threats and opportunities at Witness, said. Kashmir and Myanmar have experienced longer blocks affecting specific regions or platforms, and China and North Korea strictly limit access to the global internet.

The internet cutoff costs Iran's economy an estimated $30 million to $40 million daily, a member of Iran's Chamber of Commerce said, adding that indirect losses are likely twice the direct cost. About 10 million Iranians have jobs that depend on internet connectivity, according to Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi. Online retailer DigiKala is laying off 200 people, about 3% of its workforce. Businesses in fashion, fitness, advertising, and retail have seen their incomes evaporate.

Amen Khademi, a fashion designer in Tehran, conducted a photo shoot for a jacket she designed to save images for later when alternative internet access might be available. Her Instagram page, which had more than 30,000 followers, is now inactive, and she has not made a sale in months. "The internet outage in the past four months has completely destroyed not only my business, but many online businesses," Khademi said.

The shutdown has eliminated modeling gigs and online coaching courses for Farnaz Ojaghloo, a fitness coach. "Psychologically, it really hits hard," Ojaghloo said. "All the plans you had for six months or a year ahead get pushed aside, and your only concern becomes surviving in the moment."

Before the war, Iranians could bypass restrictions using cheap virtual private networks, but prices for black-market VPNs have risen since the shutdown. Iranian state media report arrests of people for using illegal VPNs or the American satellite system Starlink. The Iranian government is allowing less-restricted access to a small number of professions, businesses, and media outlets to alleviate economic harm.