Internet Blackout Imposed Across Iran Amid Escalating Protests

Tehran, Jan 9, 2026 — Internet access has been shut down across Iran as nationwide protests against soaring living costs intensify, according to online monitoring group NetBlocks. The group reported on Thursday that a near-total internet blackout was observed across the country.
NetBlocks said the shutdown follows a series of digital censorship measures aimed at curbing protesters’ ability to organize and communicate. “Cutting connectivity at a moment of national crisis undermines people’s right to communicate,” the group warned.
Demonstrations erupted in late December after the Iranian rial suffered a sharp decline, pushing up prices of basic goods and deepening public anger over the cost-of-living crisis. The protests have continued to spread in recent days, with reports of growing violence and casualties as security forces confront demonstrators.
The internet blackout is widely seen as an attempt by authorities to contain unrest and limit the flow of information, a tactic previously used during periods of heightened political tension in Iran.