Trending Now - Iran's Prolonged Internet Blackout Sparks Public Outrage and Fear

WHO:

CNN - President Masoud Pezeshkian, Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi, Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Faraz (Tehran resident), Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Iranian Psychiatric Association, Iran Reform Front.

WHAT:

CNN - Iran's internet blackout has lasted over two months, making it the longest on record.

CNN - The blackout has cost Iranians approximately $1.8 billion over the past two months.

CNN - Internet Pro, a program providing privileged internet access, was launched in February.

Techmeme - NetBlocks reported that Iran's internet blackout is the longest recorded national internet shutdown in a connected society.

CNN - The average monthly wage in Iran is between 20 million and 35 million tomans ($240 to $420).

CNN - Reported pricing for Internet Pro includes a one-year 50 gigabyte package costing around 2 million toman, plus activation fees of 2.8 million toman and roughly 40,000 toman for each additional gigabyte.

WHERE:

CNN - The events are occurring in Iran, specifically mentioned locations include Tehran.

WHEN:

CNN - The current blackout began on January 8.

CNN - Internet Pro was launched in February.

CNN - Restrictions were partially eased in February before being tightened again after the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28.

WHY:

CNN - The internet blackout is a response to anti-government protests.

CNN - The introduction of Internet Pro was approved by the Supreme National Security Council to help businesses maintain service stability during crises.

CNN - Officials claim the tiered internet access is to prevent destructive cyberattacks on the country’s critical infrastructure.

HOW:

CNN - Internet Pro works through telecom-level “whitelisting” tied to “white SIM cards,” allowing certain users to bypass filtering systems.

CNN - Many Iranians use black-market VPN services to circumvent internet blocks.

(UPDATED May 10, 2026 11:14 UTC)

Iran is currently experiencing its longest internet blackout on record, which has now lasted over two months and cost the nation approximately $1.8 billion. In response to ongoing anti-government protests, officials have introduced a program called Internet Pro, designed to provide privileged internet access to businesses, although many Iranians are resorting to black-market VPN services to bypass the restrictions. The program operates through a system of telecom-level "whitelisting" and has been approved by the Supreme National Security Council to help maintain service stability amid the crisis.