Iran's Internet Blackout: 85 Million People Disconnected from the World
Since January 8, Iran has kept 85 million people completely cut off from the internet. This isn't just blocking websites—they've shut down the physical connections. Here's how they do it, why it matters, and a potential way around it.
What's Actually Happening
Imagine if your entire country lost internet access—no WhatsApp, no Instagram, no email, no news from outside. That's been reality for 85 million Iranians since January 8, 2026.
This isn't like China's "Great Firewall" that blocks specific websites. Iran literally disconnects the country from the global internet. It's like cutting the power lines, not just unplugging your devices.
Why this matters: During protests and demonstrations, the regime can silence the entire nation. No videos can get out. No coordination is possible. No calls for help can be heard.
How They Do It: The Three Gatekeepers
Think of the internet like a highway system connecting Iran to the rest of the world. Most countries have hundreds of on-ramps and off-ramps. Iran built its network with only three exit points—three companies that control ALL internet traffic going in and out of the country.
When the regime wants to shut down the internet, they tell these three gatekeepers to "stop announcing routes." In plain terms: they tell the rest of the world "Iran doesn't exist on the internet anymore."
The result: On January 8, it took just 30 minutes to disconnect 98.5% of the country.
Many people ask: "Can't Iranians just use a VPN?" No. VPNs need an internet connection to work. When the physical connection is severed, there's nothing to tunnel through. It's like trying to drive on a highway that's been demolished.
Learning to Shut Down Faster
Iran has practiced this three times now, each time getting better at it:
2019: The Blunt Hammer
- Took 24 hours to shut down the internet
- Stayed down for a week
- Cost: $1.5 billion in economic damage
- But it worked—protests were silenced
2022: The Refined Approach
- "Digital curfews" every night from 4PM to midnight
- Kept daytime business running, blocked nighttime protests
- Started blocking VPN apps before people could download them
2026: Surgical Precision
- Total disconnect in just 30 minutes
- Even blocked satellite internet
- Still offline after 6+ days with no end announced
The Starlink Problem
Some Iranians tried using Starlink—Elon Musk's satellite internet that bypasses ground infrastructure entirely. For a while, it worked even when ground internet was blocked.
The regime's solution? Military-grade GPS jammers.
Starlink terminals need GPS to locate satellites overhead. Jam the GPS signal, and Starlink terminals can't find satellites. Users report 30-80% of their data packets being lost—making the internet essentially unusable.
By January 11, Starlink was completely blocked nationwide for the first time ever.
The Human Cost
Behind the technical details are real people:
- 50 million people can't use WhatsApp to talk to family abroad
- 45 million Instagram users, including small business owners who depend on it for income
- Families separated across borders with no way to communicate
- Businesses losing an estimated $1.5 million every hour
Yet the regime continues the blackout. They've decided that controlling information is worth the economic devastation.
While regular Iranians are completely disconnected, government officials and state media continue posting online. The Supreme Leader's Twitter account posted 12 times during the "total" blackout. This proves the infrastructure isn't broken—it's deliberately shut off only for regular citizens.
A Possible Workaround (Untested)
There may be a way around these blocks using DNS tunneling—disguising internet traffic as routine DNS lookups (the basic requests that translate website names into numbers).
Since some DNS traffic must continue for any internet to function, this might slip through. Think of it like hiding a message inside routine mail that can't be stopped completely.
What you'd need:
- A domain name and server outside Iran (~$10/month)
- Technical skills or help from someone who has them
- The dnstt tool: github.com/bugfloyd/dnstt-deploy
I have NOT tested this during an active shutdown. The regime may have already blocked unusual DNS patterns. Even if it works, expect it to be slow and unreliable. This is a last-resort option when nothing else exists—use at your own risk.
Why This Matters Beyond Iran
Other authoritarian governments are watching Iran's playbook:
- 30-minute shutdowns instead of slow, obvious disconnections
- GPS jamming to block satellite internet
- Complete infrastructure control that defeats all software solutions
This isn't just about technology. It's about whether governments can completely silence their citizens in the 21st century.
Iran has proven they can. Other regimes are taking notes.
What Can Be Done?
For people inside Iran:
- Try the DNS tunneling solution (with the warnings above)
- Use local mesh networks for nearby coordination (like Briar app)
- Physical movement to border regions may provide connectivity
For people outside Iran:
- Share information about what's happening
- Support tools and infrastructure for circumvention
- Press governments and companies to take action
The hard truth: When a government controls all the physical infrastructure and is willing to pay any economic cost, disconnecting an entire nation is possible.
Note: I'm writing this as someone who opposes the regime and the massacre happening in Iran in January 2026. This article exists to show the world how a government can deny its citizens the basic human right to access information and communicate with the outside world.
The internet was supposed to be uncontrollable. Iran has proven that wrong—when you control the physical infrastructure, you control everything.