Iran’s internet blackout has entered its 57th consecutive day, surpassing 1,344 hours of sustained network disruption, according to data published by NetBlocks, the London-based internet monitoring organisation that tracks connectivity outages and restrictions in real time across the globe. The figure places the current blackout among the most prolonged state-level internet shutdowns recorded in recent history, with the duration now extending well beyond incidents that were previously considered landmark cases of government-imposed digital isolation.
The blackout, which began in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28, 2026, has effectively severed or severely curtailed ordinary Iranians’ access to the open internet during one of the most consequential and volatile periods the country has faced in decades. While state-controlled media and government communication channels have continued to function, the disruption of commercial internet infrastructure has cut off millions of Iranian citizens from independent news sources, international communication platforms, financial services dependent on online connectivity, and the broader global digital economy. For a population of over 85 million people, many of whom depend on internet access for professional, educational, and social functions, the sustained blackout represents a humanitarian and economic impact that extends far beyond its immediate political dimensions.
NetBlocks has been providing continuous documentation of the blackout’s duration and scope since its onset, offering one of the few independent data streams available on the state of Iran’s connectivity in the absence of access for international journalists and observers. The organisation’s tracking methodology relies on real-time measurement of network reachability across multiple protocols and autonomous systems, making its hourly count a reliable indicator of the continuity of the disruption rather than a measure of intermittent or partial access. As diplomatic efforts centred on the Islamabad Talks continue to seek a framework for ending the broader conflict, the fate of Iran’s internet infrastructure remains one of the more tangible and measurable indicators of the conflict’s ongoing human cost, and the restoration of civilian connectivity is expected to feature as a concrete demand in any comprehensive settlement discussion.
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