Iranian President Ordered Reopening of International Internet Access

(Patria) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued an order to reopen international internet access, Iranian state media reported, citing an official after nearly ninety days of internet shutdown due to the war against the United States and Israel. The report quoted the head of public relations of the Iranian Ministry of Communications, Reuters reports.

How and when Iran will reconnect to the global internet after this decision is unknown.

Most Iranians have been unable to access the global network for 87 days, according to internet observatory NetBlocks on Monday, with only a few citizens having access to expensive and advanced VPNs that bypass restrictions.

Authorities initially imposed the internet shutdown on January 8 in response to national anti-government protests, and connections gradually returned to normal in February, before a new internet shutdown was initiated after the start of US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.

In normal times, access to the global internet remains largely restricted by censorship of many websites, while authorities increasingly rely on intranets to provide connected services without relying on the world wide web, especially for schools that are currently following an online curriculum.