Iran Internet Shutdown Deepens Amid US-Israel War, NetBlocks Reports 240 Hrs Of Nationwide Blackout In 2026

This article summarises Iran’s 2026 internet shutdowns as reported by Netblocks, detailing duration, scale, and the effects on ordinary life, business, and information sharing during the ongoing conflict and regional tensions.

Iran is experiencing near-complete internet shutdowns as strikes by the United States and Israel continue. Monitoring group Netblocks reports that connectivity restrictions since the start of 2026 have added up to 240 hours. It describes this as one of the harshest state-imposed nationwide outages recorded worldwide, leaving millions of residents cut off from online communication.

According to Netblocks, Iran has already spent about one-third of 2026 without regular internet access. These blackouts, imposed by authorities, have affected daily life, business activity and the flow of independent information. The restrictions also limit citizens’ ability to share updates about the conflict and domestic events with the outside world.

Iran internet blackout and shutdown: scale of restrictions in 2026

Netblocks highlighted the situation on X, writing: "Update: At 240 hours, Iran's internet blackout is now among the most severe government-imposed nationwide internet shutdowns on record globally, and the second longest registered in Iran after the January protests, with the country having spent a third of 2026 offline." The post pointed to a sustained pattern of restrictions this year.

The watchdog earlier warned on 9 March that the Iran internet blackout had reached a critical stage. It stated: "Update: Iran's internet blackout has entered its tenth day with connectivity at 1% of ordinary levels after the 216th hour. As regional hostilities intensify, some 90 million Iranians are silenced and cut off from the global internet under a state-imposed shutdown." The group linked the curbs to security concerns.

{{{{twitter_post_id####⚠️ Update: At 240 hours, #Iran's internet blackout is now among the most severe government-imposed nationwide internet shutdowns on record globally, and the second longest registered in Iran after the January protests, with the country having spent a third of 2026 offline. pic.twitter.com/LPoVkOI9MM— NetBlocks (@netblocks) March 10, 2026}}}}

Iran internet blackout and shutdown: January protests and earlier disruption

The current Iran internet blackout follows earlier disruptions during large protests on 8 January. At that time, authorities reportedly blocked almost all international access to reduce demonstrations against the Khamenei government. Netblocks wrote on X: "As Iran wakes up to a new day, metrics show the national internet blackout is past the 84-hour mark. Years of digital censorship research point to these workarounds," referring to attempts to bypass controls.

While the Iran internet blackout and shutdown continues, international actors are discussing the wider conflict. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin recently spoke with United States President Donald Trump about the war. As reported by Al Jazeera, Putin offered several options to help calm the situation, which the Kremlin described as different "considerations" still being examined.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia remains willing to assist in lowering tensions in West Asia. Peskov did not explain the detailed content of the "considerations" mentioned during the Putin–Trump call. As these diplomatic efforts continue, millions in Iran remain largely disconnected, with internet access heavily restricted for significant periods this year.