Iran’s internet blackout hits economy hard amid protests

(MENAFN) Iran’s ongoing internet blackout, imposed amid anti-government protests, is causing daily economic losses exceeding $20 million, according to the nation’s top technology industry body.

Ali Hakim-Javadi, head of Iran’s Computer Engineers Organization, told a news website on Sunday that digital companies and IT service providers have been hit hardest since the shutdown began on January 8. He noted that businesses dependent on uninterrupted global internet access have experienced sharp drops in transactions, with some forced to suspend operations entirely.

Hakim-Javadi emphasized that the economic damages, estimated at approximately $20.6 million per day, account only for “direct” losses. He warned that broader indirect impacts—such as declining investor confidence, lower international rankings, capital flight, and brain drain—are not included in this figure.

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

Protests erupted in late December following the rapid depreciation of the national currency and worsening economic conditions, initially in Tehran and later spreading to other cities. The situation has drawn heightened pressure from the US and Israel, while Iranian authorities accused Washington of using sanctions, political pressure, and unrest to justify potential military intervention and regime change.

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