Iran has begun restoring access to the global internet after an 88-day nationwide shutdown, ending what monitoring group NetBlocks described as the longest near-total internet isolation imposed by any country in modern history.

Internet connectivity started to return on Tuesday, though only partially. NetBlocks reported that access had risen to a fraction of normal levels after 2,093 hours of disruption, while independent analysts suggested restoration remained selective and incomplete. Fixed-line connections reportedly resumed in parts of the country, with some mobile and residential services gradually returning online.

The reopening followed a vote by a newly created cyberspace management task force established under President Masoud Pezeshkian. Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi said the measure passed comfortably, with officials arguing that prolonged restrictions had inflicted severe economic harm, damaging online businesses, discouraging investment and accelerating the departure of skilled workers.

Legal dispute: Yet the move faces legal and political uncertainty. Iranian state media reported that an administrative court had temporarily suspended the order creating the body overseeing the restoration effort. Critics linked to security institutions questioned whether the government had authority to reverse restrictions originally imposed through higher national security channels.

Security rationale: Iran’s internet controls intensified amid political unrest earlier this year and later expanded during wartime conditions and a wave of cyberattacks. State-aligned media defended the shutdown as necessary to protect critical infrastructure and counter cyber espionage. Reformist critics and digital-rights advocates, however, argued the blackout also enabled wider domestic repression and restricted the flow of information.

Economic concerns increasingly shaped the debate. Estimates suggest millions of Iranian jobs rely directly or indirectly on internet access, with businesses reporting heavy losses during the shutdown. Survey data indicated many firms lost most of their communications channels after access to major foreign platforms was curtailed.

Political divisions: Internal divisions also surfaced within Iran’s political establishment. Reports indicated senior officials, including figures associated with state broadcasting and cyberspace regulation, opposed reconnecting the country, placing them at odds with President Pezeshkian, who had publicly identified restoring internet access as a priority.

For now, Iran’s digital reopening has begun—but whether it becomes permanent remains uncertain.