Internet Shutdown Costs Iran over $370 Mln

Prolonged internet restrictions in Iran have caused direct economic losses exceeding $370 million, according to estimates by the country’s computer engineering body and information technology industry specialists, following anti-government protests that began on December 28, 2025.

The report said Iranian authorities imposed an almost complete nationwide internet shutdown from January 8, 2026, as demonstrations intensified in Tehran. The measures severely disrupted Iran’s digital infrastructure and the wider economy linked to online services, according to the newspaper, Turkey Today.

Daily losses were estimated at between two trillion and three trillion Iranian tomans, equivalent to about $20.6 million per day, based on an exchange rate of 145,000 tomans to the US dollar.

The organisation said the information technology sector and digital businesses were hit hardest, with companies dependent on continuous access to the global internet experiencing a sharp contraction in activity. It added that the $370 million figure reflects direct losses only and does not include long-term consequences such as declining investor confidence and the accelerating emigration of skilled professionals.

Iran’s Chamber of Commerce also warned that traders and business owners continue to face severe difficulties, noting that communication with international partners has become extremely challenging and that parts of Iran’s trade activity have effectively ground to a halt.

The internet blackout followed a wave of protests that erupted from Tehran’s Grand Bazaar amid a collapse in the national currency and worsening living conditions. While authorities have not released official casualty figures, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that at least 5,459 people were killed and more than 40,800 arrested during the unrest.

Data from NetBlocks showed that internet connectivity in Iran fell to around 1 percent of normal levels from January 8, 2026, indicating that 99 percent of the country’s usual data traffic was disrupted during the nationwide shutdown.