Iran extends internet blackout as government tightens digital control

Iran is set to continue its nationwide internet shutdown at least until the Iranian New Year (Novruz) on March 20, IranWire reports.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani confirmed that access to international online services will not be restored until the end of the Novruz holiday. The blackout, now entering its second week, is also expected to continue through the 40-day mourning period for those killed during widespread protests across the country.

Monitoring group NetBlocks reported that the current internet outage has already lasted more than 180 hours, surpassing the duration of a similar shutdown in 2019.

“At 180 hours, the total internet blackout in Iran now exceeds the core duration of the 2019 shutdown, and there is still no partial or regional restoration.

In 2019, it was only after connectivity was restored that the scale of the brutal crackdown became known,” NetBlocks experts noted.

⚠️ Update: At 180 hours, the total internet blackout in #Iran now exceeds the core duration of the 2019 shutdown, and there is still no partial or regional restoration.

in 2019, it was only after connectivity was restored that the scale of the brutal crackdown became known. pic.twitter.com/jTBcaswzbS

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) January 16, 2026

Earlier this week, Iran International reported that authorities are in the final stages of implementing the so-called “internet switch” project, designed to facilitate prolonged nationwide shutdowns. Sources indicate that the project involves transferring key digital services, banking platforms, and infrastructure onto a national network, allowing authorities to enforce extended internet blackouts more easily.

This move comes as digital rights group Filterban warns that Iran is entering what activists describe as the final stage of a plan to sharply restrict public access to the internet and place core communications under tighter government control. The group said the project is intended to transform online access into a government-controlled privilege, available only to individuals with high-level security clearance.

“This is the transition to a communications black hole,” Filterban stated, describing a system in which the majority of users would lose access to open online services. Authorities are reportedly upgrading deep packet inspection systems to detect and block Starlink and VPN traffic, while pushing private firms to migrate to tightly monitored internal messaging platforms.

Filterban also noted that foreign technical partners have quietly exited parts of Iran’s telecommunications sector, signaling what the group described as the end of meaningful international cooperation in the country’s critical infrastructure. “The era of public internet access in Iran is coming to an end,” the group warned, citing a collapse in e-commerce activity and widespread disruptions to supply chains following the latest shutdown.

By Vafa Guliyeva