Pezeshkian ends Iran's ~4-month internet blackout — and the IRGC pushes back
The president orders international access restored after one of the longest shutdowns on record; hardline outlets say he had no authority, exposing the rift inside the system
Summary
Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the Communications Ministry on 25 May to restore Iran's international internet to its pre-January state, with partial restoration the next day — slow and still filtered. The blackout had run from 8 January, near-total for months in one of the longest nationwide disruptions on record, with daily losses estimated at $70-80m and cumulative costs near $1.8bn by mid-April; online sales fell about 80%. The order ran through a special headquarters under First Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Aref, which voted 9 to 3 in favour. IRGC-affiliated Fars News challenged the president's authority, arguing the shutdown was a Supreme National Security Council decision only that body could reverse. Social media — X, Telegram, Instagram, WhatsApp — stayed largely blocked. The episode exposes the rift between the elected government and the security organs as Mojtaba Khamenei consolidates as supreme leader.
By the numbers
- ~4.5 months — blackout from 8 Jan to the 26 May partial restoration.
- ~$70-80m/day — estimated total daily cost; ~$1.8bn cumulative by mid-April.
- ~80% — fall in online sales during the shutdown.
- 9-3 — vote in Aref's special headquarters to restore access.
Why it matters
Whether a president can switch the internet back on is a test of who actually governs Iran. Pezeshkian reasserting the elected government's writ — and hardliners disputing it — maps the post-war power struggle between the reformist administration and the IRGC-security bloc.
What to watch
- Whether social-media platforms are unblocked or stay restricted.
- How far the IRGC pushes its claim that only the security council can decide.
- Renewed shutdown threats during summer unrest over water and power.