Following extended periods of internet blackouts, signs emerged on Tuesday indicating a partial restoration of internet connectivity in Iran. This development comes after over 2,000 hours of restricted access, impacting the nation's 90 million citizens. The recent blackout, initiated on February 28th amidst escalating tensions involving **Israel** and the **United States**, and a prior shutdown following widespread protests in January, have severely limited online access. While some Iranian networks appear to be reconnecting to the global internet, experts caution that the level of access remains significantly below previous levels, even compared to the partial restoration seen in late January and February. ### Monitoring the Restoration Internet monitoring firms such as **Kentik**, **NetBlocks**, and **Cloudflare** have been tracking the gradual reconnection since Tuesday afternoon local time. > "We do see some traffic coming from Iran," states Amir Rashidi, a cybersecurity expert at **Miaan Group**. "Some providers have come back online, but it is still too early to say exactly what will happen. After the January protests, some providers were also reconnected, but around 50 percent of the country’s traffic remained down." Doug Madory, Director of Internet Analysis at **Kentik**, noted that mobile networks have not seen substantial changes. Instead, fixed-line providers, particularly the **Telecommunication Company of Iran**'s fiber-optic service around Tehran, are showing the most significant gains. ### Context of the Blackouts The Iranian government initially shut down internet connectivity in early January in response to protests over economic conditions, resulting in thousands of casualties. Another shutdown occurred in late February during heightened tensions with the U.S. and Israel, hindering communication, economic activity, and the flow of information regarding the conflict. ### Iran's Digital Control Efforts Over the past decade, the Iranian regime has been actively developing a national intranet to replace the global internet. This initiative involves creating homegrown, surveillance-heavy technologies, including search engines, messaging apps, and ride-hailing platforms. However, these control mechanisms often function as blunt instruments rather than precise tools, potentially due to technical limitations or political instability. ### Political Maneuvering The current internet shutdown was reportedly ordered by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, while the subsequent restoration was initiated by a group led by Iranian president **Masoud Pezeshkian**, facing legal challenges in Iran’s High Court. Despite the legal hurdles, the Iranian communications minister has affirmed that the reconnection would proceed as directed by the president, with efforts underway to restore connectivity within 24 hours. > "What we are seeing now is an increase in traffic from Iran, but we need to wait and see the outcome of the power struggle," Rashidi from **Miaan Group** explains. "Challenging the president’s order in court, given Iran’s political culture, was in a way a humiliation of Pezeshkian. So we should wait and see how this power struggle plays out." Experts have long anticipated that continued authoritarian rule in Iran would further impact digital freedoms, with some suggesting the country may pursue a permanent separation from the global internet.