'Greetings after 88 days': Iranians reconnect after long internet shutdown

By Elwely Elwelly, Emily Giles and Amy McConaghy

DUBAI/LONDON, May 27 (Reuters) – Iranians isolated by a long internet shutdown imposed by the authorities during the war with the U.S. and Israel expressed joy as social media came back to life in a country where even in normal times access to the outside world remains restricted via censorship of many websites.

“I’ve never been so happy in my life to see Telegram notifications,” Kian Galvani, an engineering student, wrote on his account on X.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order to reopen international internet access, Iranian state media reported on Monday, citing an official after a near-90-day blackout. The report cited the head of public relations at Iran’s Communications Ministry.

The mechanism for how and when Iran would reconnect to the global web following the decision was unknown.

Authorities initially imposed an internet blackout from January 8 in a crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests which U.S.-based HRANA rights group said killed thousands. Connections were gradually restored in February, before a new blackout was initiated following the start of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28.

“The longest internet blackout in the history of the world has ended, greetings after 88 days”, Alireza Jafarzadeh, an Iranian editor, posted on his account on Instagram.

Iranian Communications and Information Technology Minister Seyyid Sattar Hashemi said on Wednesday that “the Iranian people deserve free communication, a bright future, and a dynamic economy.”

“The president’s commitment to the reopening of the internet and restoring communication stability is a clear sign of rationality and standing with the people”, Hashemi added, according to state media.

BUSINESSES HIT HARD BY BLACKOUT

Prolonged shutdowns both restrict internet freedoms and hurt businesses that depend heavily on social media to operate, taking a toll on a fragile economy battered by the war and long-standing U.S. sanctions.

Keyumars, an Iranian computer programmer, who asked that only his first name be used due to security concerns, told Reuters that many people in Iran who ran businesses through Instagram and Telegram due to the high cost of renting a physical store “lost everything during this blackout” and “have to start again from far below zero — while carrying heavy debts, losses, and lost customers.”

Alp Toker, director of internet monitoring group NetBlocks, told Reuters on Wednesday that the process of restoration could take hours, days, or even weeks in provinces.

He added that connectivity remains unstable and internet access heavily restricted, with platforms such as WhatsApp still inaccessible without a VPN.

“Businesses are suffering, small businesses, people aren’t able to get in touch with loved ones. And there’s also, I think, a sense of being left behind. A lot has happened in the world,” said Toker.

Iranians remain wary of ongoing restrictions.

“We are a long way from achieving the world-class version of the internet that the Iranian people deserve… civic and social activities in the heart of this darkness are the pulse of our survival,”Iranian citizen Alireza Naji posted on his X account.

(Editing by Michael Georgy and Keith Weir)