Iran has cut off its access to the global internet, prompting some citizens to cross into neighboring Turkey to regain connectivity, according to verified reports from border regions. At the Kapikoy crossing in Turkey’s eastern Van province, Iranians have been observed making short trips solely to access online services, including video calls with family abroad, before returning home.
The disruption, which began in late February, has affected both mobile and fixed-line internet services across Iran, with connectivity dropping sharply in major cities including Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. Network monitoring groups such as NetBlocks and Access Now confirmed the outage, noting near-total disruption to international traffic whereas some domestic services remained operational.
Iranian authorities have not issued a public explanation for the blackout, though officials have previously cited national security concerns during periods of unrest. The move echoes similar actions taken during past protests, including the nationwide shutdown in November 2019 following fuel price hikes and the 2022 blackout during the Mahsa Amini protests.
Cross-border movement for internet access has increased notably at Kapikoy, one of the primary land crossings between Iran and Turkey. Local Turkish officials in Van province reported a rise in pedestrian traffic from Iranian nationals seeking connectivity, though no official statistics have been released. Travelers describe using Turkish SIM cards or public Wi-Fi near the border to make brief contact with relatives overseas before returning.
Human rights organizations, including Article 19 and the Center for Human Rights in Iran, have condemned the shutdown as a violation of freedom of expression and access to information. They warn that such disruptions impede emergency communication, medical coordination, and journalistic reporting during periods of social tension.
Iran’s telecommunications infrastructure remains under state control, with the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology overseeing all international gateways. The country maintains a national information network (NIN) that allows limited domestic intranet services to function even when global connections are severed.
As of early March, no official timeline for restoration has been provided by Iranian authorities. Diplomatic channels between Tehran and Ankara remain active on other matters, including trade and energy, but neither government has publicly addressed the connectivity issue in bilateral talks.
The situation persists without public clarification from Iranian officials, leaving affected populations reliant on intermittent and cross-border solutions to maintain basic digital contact with the outside world.
