Iran moves to sever global internet access as a government privilege

Digital-rights monitors and activists say Iranian authorities are advancing a confidential plan to sever or sharply curtail the country's connection to the global internet, converting access to an adjudicated government privilege for a cleared minority while the rest of the population is restricted to a domestic, national network.

Filterwatch, an Iran-focused internet-censorship monitor, says the scheme would allow users who obtain security clearance or pass government screening to use a restricted version of the global internet while others are routed to Iran’s internal network. Amir Rashidi, head of Filterwatch, reported that enforcement has already been tightened during recent nationwide blackouts and that authorities have warned unrestricted access will not return after 2026.

Parallel infrastructure works are reported to be moving into final stages to enable prolonged disconnection. A large-scale national network project being deployed in partnership with Chinese suppliers is described as building an internal data centre and platform to host banking, payment systems and other critical public services. Project specifics circulating among monitors include an estimated cost between $700 million and $1 billion, a planned data-centre capacity of about 400 server racks, and equipment delivered in roughly 24 shipping containers. The site is said to be beneath an administrative building in Pardis IT Town, about 20 kilometres northeast of Tehran, in a location described by planners as difficult to strike.

Corporate links named in accounts tie the work to domestic technology groups and to a company reportedly managing the roll-out under the brand of a local cloud provider. One of the domestic firms mentioned has been the subject of earlier U.S. sanctions tied to alleged security ministry and Revolutionary Guard links. Activists and foreign analysts warn that deploying a national platform at this scale would allow authorities to keep key economic functions online while isolating the wider population from international news, communications and financial services.

The immediate backdrop is large-scale unrest that began in December 2025 and intensified with nationwide shutdowns starting on or after January 8. Rights groups and technical monitors have documented sweeping internet and phone disruptions during protests, and activists say the current moves are the culmination of roughly 16 years of incremental policy and infrastructure changes designed to tighten state control over communications.

Civil-society groups and expatriate networks have been preparing contingency measures for years. Activists and aid groups say thousands of Starlink satellite terminals have been smuggled into Iran and traded on the black market; estimates cited by activists place the number of units in the tens of thousands. Those efforts have led to reports that SpaceX has waived subscription fees for some Iranian users, a claim that has not been confirmed publicly by the company. Authorities have sought to locate users and have reportedly attempted localised jamming of satellite signals.

The economic stakes are high. Restricting global connectivity would raise barriers to trade, deter foreign investment, and complicate cross-border financial flows by isolating payment platforms and banking infrastructure. International firms supplying equipment could face heightened sanctions and compliance risk, and Iranian firms anchored to global supply chains would confront increased costs and uncertainty. Observers warn that prolonged isolation could depress growth and accelerate capital flight, while tightening information controls would inflict social and cultural costs that extend beyond immediate security aims.

Key elements of the plan and several operational claims remain unconfirmed. Monitors emphasize that many details derive from confidential sources inside Iran and from tracking of network changes; the scope and timing of implementation, and the degree to which foreign suppliers were knowingly involved, have not been publicly verified.