Cloudflare Radar Shows Partial Internet Restoration in Iran After Three-Month Shutdown
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Summary
Cloudflare Radar data confirms that Iran’s internet connectivity is beginning to recover after a nearly three‑month shutdown that started on February 28, 2026. The first shutdown began on January 8, with traffic dropping to near zero and only brief recoveries on January 21 and 25 before stabilizing on January 27. The second shutdown, triggered by U.S. and Israeli attacks, saw traffic fall to less than 1% of normal levels, with only minimal web and DNS traffic leaving the country. On May 26, 87 days after the second shutdown, Radar recorded a 15‑fold spike in bytes transferred and a sharp increase in DNS queries, indicating that more users are now able to reach the internet. The surge is largely concentrated in Tehran, where 91.6% of HTTP requests originate, and is driven by providers such as TCI, IranCell, RighTel and MCCI. However, traffic remains at only 40% of pre‑shutdown peaks, and IPv6 address space has not recovered, suggesting that application‑level filtering may still be in place.
The partial restoration is a critical turning point for Iranian citizens, but the situation remains volatile, with the possibility of temporary reversals as seen in January. Cloudflare will continue to monitor connectivity and share updates via Radar, X, Mastodon and Bluesky.
Key changes
- Iran’s internet traffic rose 15x on May 26 after a 3‑month shutdown
- Traffic is now 40% of pre‑shutdown levels
- Tehran accounts for 91.6% of new HTTP requests
- IPv6 address space remains effectively zero
- Cloudflare Radar tracks DNS query spikes as a proxy for user access