Internet outage across Iran as government disrupts protests

A significant drop in internet traffic was observed across Iran starting around 8:00 PM local time on January 8, 2026. Protests against the collapse of the Iranian currency and rising prices have been occurring across the country since December 2025, and the government is believed to have shut down the internet in response.

Iran in 'digital blackout' as Tehran throttles mobile internet access | The National
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/01/08/iran-internet-blocked-ipv6/

Internet collapses in Iran amid protests over economic crisis | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/08/internet-collapses-in-iran-amid-protests-over-economic-crisis/

⚠️ Update: Live network data show #Tehran and other parts of Iran are now entering a digital blackout, as connectivity falls on multiple providers; the new incident follows regional shutdowns, and is likely to severely limit coverage of events on the ground as protests spread 📉 pic.twitter.com/cVZE311VNY

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) January 8, 2026

According to Cloudflare Radar , a service that monitors internet traffic, traffic in Iran began to decline in the afternoon of January 8, reaching its lowest level in a week by 8 PM. Traffic was almost zero after 10:30 PM.


Regarding the cause of the situation, Mohammed Soliman, a technology analyst at the Middle East Institute, told the news site The National that the timing and the sudden drop in traffic make it unlikely to be a technical issue, and that the government is intentionally cutting off access to the internet to disrupt coordination among protesters. Amir Rashidi of the Miaan Group, a nonprofit organization that focuses on human rights issues in Iran, also pointed out that the Iranian internet has been almost completely cut off from the outside world by the government.

Protests have been raging in Iran since late December 2025 due to rising prices caused by inflation and the collapse of the Iranian currency against the dollar. The demonstrations, which began among shopkeepers in the capital, Tehran, spread to other areas, and the government deployed security forces to crack down harshly. Over the course of about 10 days, at least 36 people have been killed and more than 2,000 have been detained.

Protests spread in Iran... 36 dead, over 2,000 arrested. Discontent grows over rising prices and a plummeting currency. The government rebels against President Trump's suggestion of intervention. | FNN Prime Online
https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/984601

Regarding the situation in Iran, US President Donald Trump commented on January 2nd, 'If Iran decides to shoot and violently kill peaceful protesters, as they always do, the United States will come to their aid. We are ready and able to deploy.'