Iranian internet connectivity was partially restored Tuesday after 88 days of near-total isolation from the global network, ending what internet monitor NetBlocks called the longest nationwide internet blackout in modern history.

The restoration followed an order from President Masoud Pezeshkian directing the Ministry of Communications to return international internet access to its pre-January status. ICT Minister Sattar Hashemi told the Shargh daily that the reconnection process had begun, and the semi-official ISNA news agency reported the order would be implemented Tuesday.

NetBlocks confirmed that connectivity was returning after 2,093 hours offline but said it was unclear whether the partial restoration would be sustained. Live network metrics showed signal returning in stages, with fixed-line connections reconnecting first.

The blackout was first imposed January 8 in response to nationwide anti-government protests over economic hardship and fuel prices that erupted in late December. Access was partially restored in February before authorities cut connectivity again on February 28, after the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iranian territory.

Human Rights Watch and other rights organizations had called for an immediate end to the shutdown, which left Iranians without reliable access to information during the bombing campaign and severed communication with relatives abroad. Only a small portion of users were able to bypass the restrictions using expensive VPN services.

The economic toll extended beyond Iran’s borders. Meta reported that average daily users of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram fell from 3.58 billion to 3.56 billion in the first quarter, attributing part of the decline to the Iranian blackout.

The decision to lift restrictions was approved Monday by the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, chaired by First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, after a committee vote of nine to three. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Tuesday that the Cyberspace Headquarters had concluded the internet should be reopened and that the president’s order had been communicated to the Communications Ministry.

The move drew initial pushback from the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency, which questioned whether the administration had the authority to reverse restrictions imposed by the Supreme National Security Council. Fars later fell in line, describing the reopening as a necessary technical and security step. Separately, the Administrative Justice Court said it had suspended enforcement of the document establishing the Special Committee for Organizing and Managing Cyberspace pending legal review.

The restoration comes as Iranian and American delegations continue negotiations in Qatar over Tehran’s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions, with US officials citing the presence of senior Iranian negotiators as a positive sign.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)