Published: Jan 16, 2026, 15:06 IST | Updated: Jan 16, 2026, 15:06 IST
Iran initiated a near-total internet blackout in response to anti-government protests that first began in December and have since rapidly grown nationwide, becoming the biggest threat to the Islamic Republic in years. Within a half-hour of the digital shutdown, internet traffic plummeted by 90 percent. In the following days, internet connectivity has since been close to zero percent.