Iran partially restores internet after 88-day blackout

Iranians reacted with a mix of skepticism, caution and sarcasm on Tuesday (26) when internet monitors reported a partial restoration of access after months of near-total isolation under a nationwide lockdown imposed by Iranian authorities.

"Yes, I'm connected, but I still need to use a VPN. Don't get too excited - the internet isn't fully open, it's just stopped being completely blocked," a 46-year-old man in Tehran told CNN, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

A VPN (virtual private network) essentially creates a private digital "tunnel" that protects online activity from hackers, advertisers and trackers.

Other Iranians expressed frustration on social media, seeing limited feedback from insufficient and late access.

An Iranian woman who previously participated in anti-government protests wrote in a post on

Meanwhile, some Iranians appeared to use the moment as a symbolic show of resistance, posting selfies on Instagram for the first time in months.

Internet activity in Iran has been partially restored, monitoring group NetBlocks said, after President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered authorities to restore access.

NetBlocks stated that the restoration occurred on the 88th day of the blackout, calling it "the longest national internet blackout in modern history."

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Source: CNN