Story perspectives

Iran's 70-Day Internet Shutdown Costs $3 B, 2 M Jobs Lost

5/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Iranian government has kept a near-total internet shutdown for over 70 days, offering only a limited intranet, restricting “white SIM cards” to a few trusted users and blocking VPNs and satellite services such as Starlink.
The blackout costs Iran $250 million daily directly and up to $3 billion when indirect effects are included.
Analyst Mahdi Ghodsi says the shutdown has caused about two million job losses, affecting six to eight million families.

1 of 1

Story summary

The Iranian government has kept a near-total internet shutdown for over 70 days, offering only a limited intranet, restricting “white SIM cards” to a few trusted users and blocking VPNs and satellite services such as Starlink.
The blackout costs Iran $250 million daily directly and up to $3 billion when indirect effects are included.
Analyst Mahdi Ghodsi says the shutdown has caused about two million job losses, affecting six to eight million families.