Iran’s government has repeatedly imposed nationwide internet restrictions during periods of domestic unrest and external conflict, most notably a near-total blackout beginning January 8, 2026, that lasted until partial restoration in late May after 88 days—the longest recorded in any country. Authorities cited national security amid 2025–2026 protests triggered by economic collapse and currency pressures, then extended controls through the February–April 2026 period of U.S. and Israeli strikes. Monitoring data from NetBlocks, Cloudflare Radar, and Kentik showed connectivity falling to 1–4% of normal levels, with domestic National Information Network services prioritized while international traffic and platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram were blocked. Partial reopening in May–June left speeds low, filtering intact, and access uneven under a developing whitelist or “Internet Pro” tiered system favoring select users and institutions. Recent months show continued throttling, infrastructure incidents, and policy moves toward centralized control and harsher penalties for online activity rather than full restoration. Traders therefore focus on whether renewed protests, economic shocks, or escalation risks could prompt authorities to reimpose a complete cutoff meeting the market’s strict 1% traffic threshold for six consecutive hours.