Forced offline for most of 2026, Iranians say they're struggling to survive

Iran’s prolonged internet blackout, lasting over 70 days since late February 2026, has left most citizens disconnected, with authorities enforcing what activists call 'absolute digital isolation.' The shutdown follows months of protests and a U.S.-Israeli attack, with the government redirecting users to a limited intranet that restricts access to approved sites. Economist Mahdi Ghodsi estimates the blackout costs Iran $250 million daily, rising to $3 billion when indirect impacts on businesses are included, while job losses exceed two million. Digital marketers like N, a 36-year-old Tehran resident, have lost livelihoods as online work vanished, forcing many to flee abroad. Food stores and pharmacies remain operational, but cafes and restaurants are unaffordable for most Iranians, whose currency has plummeted from 42,000 rials to the U.S. dollar a year ago to over 1.3 million today. The blackout has crippled productivity, as businesses struggle to transfer money or place orders without internet access. Iran’s shutdown surpasses even China’s Great Firewall in severity, with monitoring group Netblocks confirming the longest state-ordered blackout in history. Analysts warn of a 'huge productivity decline,' as companies revert to phone lines for basic operations. Mahsa Alimardani of Witness described the shutdown as 'unprecedented,' combining scale and severity to isolate the population digitally. Interviews with Iranians reveal widespread desperation, with many fleeing the country to survive. N, who now lives abroad, called the blackout 'torture,' while others report struggling to keep brick-and-mortar businesses afloat. The economic toll has deepened hardship, with families losing breadwinners and inflation eroding purchasing power further.