Iranian president orders end to 87-day internet blackout

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the Ministry of Communications to restore international internet access to its preJanuary levels, Iranian state media reported Monday, following an 87 day blackout that cut off most of the country from the global web. The directive, issued amid ongoing diplomatic negotiations over a potential truce in the West Asia conflict, aims to reverse one of the nation’s most extensive digital shutdowns in recent years, though the specific mechanism and timeline for reconnection remain unclear.

The blackout began January 8 in response to nationwide antigovernment protests, with connections briefly returning in February before a new shutdown was imposed February 28 after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. According to the internet observatory NetBlocks, most Iranians have been unable to access the World Wide Web for 87 consecutive days. Only a small number of citizens with access to expensive, advanced VPNs could circumvent the restrictions.

The political authority behind the decision has been questioned by Iranians allied with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC affiliated Fars News agency earlier argued that...