President of Iran orders international internet to be restored after blockage during protests

Starlink kit with antenna, modem and cables costs US$ 499
Disclosure/SpaceX
After almost three months of restrictions, the president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, ordered the reopening of international internet access in the country, according to Iranian state media reported this Monday (25).
The decision was confirmed by the head of public relations at the Iranian Ministry of Communications, according to the state press.
According to the NetBlocks digital monitoring observatory, the majority of the Iranian population had been without internet access for 87 days. Only a few citizens were able to access the network through VPNs considered more advanced and expensive, used to circumvent restrictions imposed by the government.
Iran states that there is no imminent agreement with the US to end the war
Limitations on internet access in Iran have been the target of criticism from international organizations and defenders of digital freedom, especially in times of political and social tension in the country.
So far, there is no information when the service should be fully reestablished nor whether there will be partial limitations on access.
Iran's history with the internet
The general internet blockade in Iran began on January 8, amid protests against the Iranian regime that took to the country's streets since the end of December.
At the time, NetBlocks reported that the level of connectivity had dropped to around 1% of the normal standard in the country, which has around 90 million inhabitants.
Internet connectivity levels in Iran between January 5th and 13th
Reproduction/NetBlocks
Internet blockages and digital blackouts are nothing new in Iran. The theocratic regime usually restricts access to the network during anti-government protests or periods of military tension and politics.
In February, at the beginning of the US and Israeli military offensive against Iran, the Iranian government once again restricted access to the network. At the time, NetBlocks recorded more than a week of uninterrupted digital blackout, with connectivity stagnant at around 1% of normal levels.
With the interruption, simple tasks such as using Google Maps or accessing international websites became impossible. Only the local intranet, controlled by the government and with limited functionality, remained available.
The blockade also affected Iranians living outside the country and trying to contact family members.
Reports published by the Deutsche Welle agency showed that telephone calls to cell phones and landlines in Iran were almost unable to be completed during the blackout.
Despite the restrictions, some Iranians resorted to tools to circumvent censorship, such as VPNs, the Psiphon platform and illegal connections from Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite internet company.
This was the third time that Iran has implemented a general internet blockade.
The others occurred in 2019, during protests against rising fuel prices, and in 2022, after the death of Mahsa Amini, arrested for allegedly wearing the Islamic veil inappropriately.
In 2025, the Iranian government also accused WhatsApp of spying on users in the country and collaborating with Israel. Meta denied the accusations and stated that the app's messages are protected by encryption.
Starlink Block
Even Starlink was partially affected. According to Amir Rashidi, director of the Miaan Group organization, the Iranian government used jammers - equipment that generates interference in signals - near the company's antennas to block the service from functioning.
At the time, Proton VPN stated that connections from Iran were decreasing because "the internet was completely turned off". NetBlocks also reported that the population was practically isolated from the outside world.
Experts previously interviewed by g1 explained that governments can interrupt access to the internet by forcing operators to suspend signals sent through cables and antennas.


In the case of satellite internet, however, the blockade is more complex because the companies responsible for the service can operate without physical infrastructure within the country.
According to Thiago Ayub, technology director at Sage Networks, the alternative found by Iran was to invest in jamming techniques to scramble the signals emitted between satellites and user antennas.
Researchers and activists also warned that the digital blackout makes it difficult to organize protests, restricts the circulation of independent information and favors the dissemination of pro-government narratives.
Additionally, during military attacks, blocking the internet can prevent civilians from receiving real-time evacuation alerts and security warnings.

Source: G1

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