Internet partially restored in Iran following presidential order

Conflict has erupted within the Iranian government following an order by President Masoud Pezeshkian to restore international internet access after an 87-day digital blackout. 

The head of public relations for the Ministry of Communications confirmed that the president directed the ministry to return internet access to its pre-January status, according to Iranian state media.  

The order has sparked immediate political pushback from conservative factions. Fars News, a media outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), questioned the government’s legal authority to lift the restrictions. 

The outlet argued that because the decision to block the internet was originally issued by the Supreme National Security Council, any reversal must be mandated by that same high-level body. Further complicating the situation, Fars News later reported that Iran’s judiciary has moved to suspend the presidential body that issued the restoration order.  

Despite the institutional friction, there are conflicting reports regarding the actual implementation of the decree. The semi-official ISNA news agency reported that practical steps to restore internet access are already underway, with full connectivity anticipated within 24 hours.  

Independent internet monitor NetBlocks confirmed that live metrics show internet connectivity in Iran has been partially restored after 88 days of near-total isolation from global networks. 

NetBlocks, which previously characterized the situation as the longest nationwide internet blackout in modern history, noted that it remains unclear whether this partial restoration will be sustained amid the ongoing domestic political dispute.

Mohammad Mehdi Tabatabaei, the deputy for communications in the Iranian president’s office, openly condemned the factions blocking the internet restoration, effectively accusing the powerful paramilitary group of launching a rebellion against the state’s core legal structure.

Tabatabaei reinforced the constitutional weight of the presidency to counter the judiciary and IRGC narratives. "The President is responsible for the implementation of the Constitution and is the highest official authority in the country after the Supreme Leader," Tabatabaei said. He warned that if anyone seeks to undermine this position, they have risen up against the nation, the Leader, and the Constitution, concluding sharply that "their duty is clear."