Internet access remains severely restricted in Iran
published at 23:58
Farshad Bayan
BBC Persian
Internet access in Iran has once again been severely restricted, hours after the start of large-scale US and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on Saturday.
Data from Kentik, a company that monitors global internet traffic, indicates a sharp drop in connectivity across Iran following the attacks. The firm estimates that roughly 99% of the country’s access to the global internet has been cut. This is reflected on social media, where only a limited number of accounts – mostly belonging to Iranian officials or other trusted individuals – appear to remain active.
Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik, said internet traffic volumes fell at 07:06 GMT and again at 11:47 GMT on Saturday, leaving only minimal connectivity in place.
Reports suggest that access to domestic websites and services, such as internal messaging platforms, remains available, raising the possibility that internal networks are still functioning despite the near-total disruption of international connections.
Iran has previously imposed sweeping internet shutdowns during periods of unrest in January 2026. Following the recent protests, internet access was completely cut off nationwide. When global connectivity was later restored, traffic levels returned to only about 60% of their pre-shutdown levels.
In the last 24 hours, some users have been able to use VPNs to connect to the outside world, as a small fraction of international access still persists. This minimal data transmission has allowed some users to route traffic through VPNs.