Iranian authorities have repeatedly imposed nationwide or regional internet restrictions in 2026 amid economic protests and conflict, including a roughly 20-day outage in January and an 88-day near-total blackout from late February through May following U.S. and Israeli strikes. Partial restoration occurred by late May, returning traffic to restricted pre-war levels with tiered "Internet Pro" access favoring select institutions and users, though monitoring groups report persistent slowdowns, blocked platforms, and ineffective VPNs into October. Fresh demonstrations over currency collapse and inflation in October have coincided with new reports of widespread outages and throttling, consistent with prior patterns where officials limit connectivity during unrest to control information flow. Traders assessing the likelihood of another full blackout by upcoming dates focus on escalation risks from sustained protests, security responses, and any renewed external tensions, alongside the government's established use of digital controls as a standard measure during periods of domestic instability.