Iran’s Internet Blackout Costs Over USD20 Million Daily

(MENAFN) Iran’s ongoing internet blackout, implemented amid anti-government demonstrations, has been inflicting daily economic losses surpassing $20 million, according to the nation’s principal technology industry organization.

Ali Hakim-Javadi, the head of Iran’s Computer Engineers Organization, told a news agency on Sunday that the sectors most severely impacted by the shutdown, which began on Jan. 8, are digital enterprises and providers of IT services.

Companies that depend on uninterrupted global internet connectivity have experienced a significant drop in business transactions, he noted, adding that some organizations have been compelled to suspend their operations entirely.

Hakim-Javadi emphasized that the estimated economic losses of about $20.6 million per day only reflect “direct” damages. He cautioned that wider indirect consequences—such as diminished investor confidence, falling international rankings, capital outflow, and brain drain—are not included in these calculations.

Last Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that he had submitted proposals to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council urging the immediate lifting of internet restrictions.

The protests in Iran began late last month in Tehran over the steep decline of the national currency and worsening economic conditions, eventually spreading to multiple other cities.

Since then, pressure on Tehran from the US and Israel has intensified, while Iranian officials have accused Washington of exploiting sanctions, political pressure, and civil unrest to justify potential military intervention and regime change.

MENAFN26012026000045017167ID1110649031