Iran has reportedly experienced a severe disruption to internet services as nationwide protests intensify over the country’s worsening economic conditions.
According to multiple internet monitoring groups, Iran faced a near-complete digital blackout on Thursday, coinciding with widespread demonstrations linked to inflation, currency depreciation, and shortages of basic goods.
Amir Rashidi, a cybersecurity researcher with the Miaan Group, described the situation as critical. He said the country appeared to be “almost entirely disconnected from the outside world,” underscoring the scale of the disruption.
Rashidi attributed the outage to state-level controls, noting that Iran’s authorities maintain strict oversight of internet infrastructure and have historically imposed shutdowns during periods of unrest.
Protests across Iran are growing as thousands of people voice anger at the dire state of the country’s economy. Ahead of more planned protests, monitors say there is a near total internet blackout.
Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi reports from Tehran. pic.twitter.com/CsIIn2q5pA
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 9, 2026Independent confirmation came from Doug Madory, Director of Internet Analysis at Kentik, who said Iran entered a near-total blackout around 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States, corresponding to approximately 8:00 p.m. local time in Tehran.
Global connectivity trackers, including NetBlocks, Cloudflare, and IODA, recorded sharp, simultaneous drops in traffic nationwide, indicating a coordinated nationwide shutdown.
DAY 12 IN IRAN: A nationwide internet blackout, with much phone service cut.
Iranian security forces have killed at least 45 protesters.
Millions have taken to the streets in every city across Iran. pic.twitter.com/jTxBHRLSjs
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 8, 2026Cloudflare’s Head of Data Insight, David Belson, said that only minimal traffic remained visible, adding that Iran was “effectively offline.”
The protests reportedly began in late December after a sharp decline in Iran’s currency, which triggered price spikes and supply disruptions. According to reporting by The New York Times, parts of Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar have remained closed for more than 11 days, further fuelling public anger.
Read: Iran Protests Turn Deadly as Clashes Kill Two Security Officials
Analysts say the blackout reflects the authorities’ efforts to curb information flow and limit coordination among protesters, as economic pressure and public frustration continue to rise nationwide.
