Iranian President Orders Reopening of International Internet Access

JAKARTA - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued an order to reopen international internet access, according to Iranian state media on Monday, citing an official after an almost 90-day internet blackout following the war against the US and Israel.

The report quoted the head of public relations at the Iranian Ministry of Communications, launching Al Arabiya from Reuters (26/5).

However, the mechanism of how and when Iran will be connected back to the global internet after the decision is not yet known.

Most Iranians have been unable to access the internet for 87 days according to internet watchdog NetBlocks on Monday, with only a few residents having access to expensive and sophisticated VPNs that can bypass the restrictions.

Initially, authorities imposed an internet blackout starting January 8 in response to anti-government protests across the country, with connections gradually returning to normal in February, before a new blackout began after the start of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.

In normal circumstances, access to the global internet remains severely restricted through censorship of many websites, while authorities are increasingly relying on intranets to provide connected services without relying on the global internet, especially for schools that are currently following an online curriculum.