Iran's nationwide internet shutdown continues

Since 8 January 2026, Iranian citizens have been affected by a nationwide internet shutdown that The Guardian describes as among the most severe on record. A government spokesperson has stated that the shutdown will remain in place at least until the Persian new year on 20 March. A Filterwatch report from October 2025 documents how Iran has, since 2019, refined and expanded its ability to restrict access to the global internet while keeping domestic services operational.

What this means for your organisation

The techniques in use make external monitoring harder than during previous Iranian shutdowns. For Norwegian organisations the broader lesson is that internet access is not a guaranteed resource, and a country may choose to disconnect. If you rely on staff, suppliers or development resources in affected regions, access can disappear without warning and without any technical remedy at the far end.

Berigo recommends

• Map which deliveries and services depend on people or infrastructure in countries with elevated shutdown risk.
• Describe in the continuity plan what happens if an entire region becomes unreachable for an extended period.
• Ensure critical documentation and source code are available outside the affected region.
• Treat geographic distribution as an architectural decision, not only an operational one.

Source

• theguardian.com
• filter.watch