The internet blackout in Iran has exceeded 80 days, leaving 92 million people without Internet access or communication.

Omissions

• The claim states people were left 'without the possibility of communicating,' but Chatham House (January 2026) notes that while internet was cut off, citizens retained 'limited access to phone and text messaging.' The blackout primarily targeted internet connectivity, not all forms of communication.
• The internet blackout began in two phases: an initial shutdown on 8 January 2026 during protests, followed by a more comprehensive blackout from late February 2026 coinciding with the US-Israel military operations. As of 20 May 2026, the blackout had actually lasted approximately 132 days since January, or around 81 days since the late-February escalation — the '80 days' figure refers specifically to the war-related phase.
• No primary official source (e.g., Iranian government statistics or UN agency data) was found to independently verify the exact population figure; the 92 million estimate is drawn from journalistic and analytical sources citing Iran's estimated total population.

Sources

• PrimaryThe Cloudflare BlogCloudflare Radar data shows Internet traffic from Iran has effectively dropped to zero since January 8, signaling a complete shutdown in the country.
• SecondaryEl País (English edition)Iran has been under a digital blackout for 80 days — the time that has passed since the United States and Israel launched their war against the Islamic Republic. [...] 92 million inhabitants. This internet blackout is now the longest of its kind ever imposed by a state.
• SecondaryChatham HouseAn estimated 92 million citizens are cut off from the internet and have limited access to phone and text messaging.
• SecondaryThe New York TimesFor 19 days, the majority of Iran's 92 million people have been cut off from the outside world, according to watchdog groups that track internet connectivity.