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Updated 27 May 2026 - Iranians describe overwhelming relief as nationwide connectivity resumes following the longest internet shutdown in modern history.
Reconnection sparks emotional reactions
For Iranians, the return of internet access after nearly three months felt like "a prisoner seeing the sky for the first time," one resident told the BBC. The government restored partial connectivity on Tuesday, ending a blackout imposed after the U.S. and Israel launched military action against Iran on 28 February.
A man interviewed by the BBC's Middle East Daily program recounted the moment he loaded a website: "I felt as though I could fly with joy." Reconnecting to messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp left him "on the verge of tears," he said, though the flood of pending app updates quickly overwhelmed him.
Another Iranian described the outage as "incredibly difficult," particularly during the war, when families abroad couldn't confirm their safety. "We knew how worried they were, but we couldn't even reassure them," he said.
Government frames restoration as progress
First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref announced the move on X, calling it a "first step" toward "free and regulated" internet access under President Masoud Pezeshkian's directive. Aref linked the decision to restoring smart services and meeting demands from citizens who "stood by the system," while emphasizing its role in scientific development.
However, not all platforms are accessible, and some users remain disconnected. An Iranian told Middle East Daily that while the return of the internet was cause for celebration, gaps in access and lingering blocks tempered the relief.
Economic and social toll of the blackout
For Iran's online workforce, the shutdown crippled livelihoods. Pantea, a computer science student who ran an e-commerce shop, told the Associated Press that businesses could now "get back to normal," but warned that persistent censorship threatened long-term recovery.
Fellow student Rastin echoed the sentiment, calling the restoration "100% positive" but highlighting the damage caused by recurring restrictions. "The online market is thirsty to return to its previous state," he said, "but social prosecution harms businesses that depend on the internet."
Censorship concerns persist
This wasn't Iran's first internet blackout. A similar disruption occurred in January during a violent crackdown on anti-government protests. Some Iranians circumvented restrictions using costly VPNs or smuggled satellite systems, but these solutions were inaccessible to many.
Monitoring group Netblocks reported that while connectivity was being restored, filtering appeared "more extensive" than during January's crackdown. Messaging apps and app stores faced new restrictions, the group said, urging global support for a "free and open internet."
"Service remains heavily filtered, with new restrictions on messaging and app stores compared to pre-January. Calls for a free and open internet transcend political divisions and should be heard."
Netblocks, internet monitor
Families abroad share mixed emotions
For Iranians living overseas, the reconnection brought both relief and lingering pain. British-Iranian comedian Shaparak Khorsandi told BBC Radio 4's Today program that hearing others reconnect with loved ones was "painful and joyful."
Khorsandi, who hadn't yet reached her aunt in Iran, described the experience as "isolating," with life feeling "suspended" during the blackout. She shared a poignant message from an uncle who, unable to receive birthday wishes, had sent one to himself on her behalf.
"He was doing what he could to stop us worrying," she said, adding that her first message to family in Iran would be: "We love them and hope no amount of silence lets them stop feeling that."
