Iran Considers Gradual Restoration of Internet Access After Protest-Linked Shutdown

Iranian authorities said on Sunday they are considering a gradual restoration of internet access following an unprecedented nationwide communications blackout that has lasted for more than ten days amid widespread anti-government protests.

Human rights organizations say the shutdown was used to shield a violent crackdown on demonstrations, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of thousands of protesters.

Officials said calm has returned to the capital after protests erupted in late December 2025, driven by public anger over deteriorating economic conditions. The unrest has been widely described as the most serious challenge to Iran’s leadership in years.

Iranian authorities claimed the protests were initially peaceful before turning into what they described as “riots,” blaming what they called foreign interference, particularly from the United States and Israel.

The demonstrations subsided following what human rights groups described as a “massacre” carried out by security forces under the cover of a communications blackout that began on January 8, as protests intensified.

The government said stability has since been restored, announcing the reopening of schools on Sunday after a week-long closure. Iran’s weekend falls on Thursdays and Fridays.

Late Saturday, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that “relevant authorities have announced that internet access will be restored gradually,” without providing further details.

The agency cited an informed source as saying that local messaging applications are expected to be reactivated soon on Iran’s domestic internet network.

For several days, text messaging and international calls were completely suspended, with even local calls intermittently disrupted.

During the blackout, Iran relied heavily on its domestic internet network, which continued to support state media websites, ride-hailing apps, delivery services, and banking platforms, while access to the global internet remained largely blocked.

The Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization said it has verified the deaths of 3,428 protesters at the hands of security forces, citing hospital sources, eyewitness accounts, and multiple independent channels.

The organization warned that the actual death toll could be significantly higher, noting that independent verification has been hampered by the internet shutdown. Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures.

Other estimates suggest the number of deaths may have exceeded 5,000, with some reports placing the figure as high as 20,000, though these numbers remain unverified due to restrictions on communications and media access.

On Saturday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that “a few thousand” people were killed by what he described as “agents” of the United States and Israel. Iranian media also reported several fatalities among security forces.