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Censorship Monitor · Iran Last test

What’s blocked in Iran right now

Iran blocks most big foreign platforms, from Instagram and YouTube to X and Telegram, and in 2026 it cut most people off from the global internet for months, first during protests and then in wartime.

As of 14 Nov 2026, vpnAlert’s daily test finds 33 of the 67 sites and apps it tracks blocked in Iran: YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), Telegram, Discord, Snapchat, Reddit and 23 more.

By the vpnAlert team · Background checked on 10 Oct 2026 · Tested every day since 29 Sep 2026 · How we test · Report a wrong result

Every day we open 67 of the world’s biggest sites and apps from test machines in Iran, most of them in data centers, and record what’s blocked, since when and how.

33 of 67 testedsites and apps with a confirmed block in Iran

67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.

Tests are requested on test machines inside Iran, most of them in data centers. 2 of them on only some networks.

China: 53 confirmed blocks. 66 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours. 1 older result awaiting a fresh test.India: 0 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Indonesia: 3 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Malaysia: 0 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Pakistan: 5 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.South Korea: 0 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Thailand: 0 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Vietnam: 8 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Egypt: 7 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Iran: 33 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Saudi Arabia: 5 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Turkey: 8 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.UAE: 9 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Belarus: 10 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.France: 0 confirmed blocks. 66 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours. 1 older result awaiting a fresh test.Germany: 1 confirmed block. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Italy: 0 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Netherlands: 0 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Russia: 31 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Spain: 1 confirmed block. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.UK: 1 confirmed block. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Australia: 0 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.Brazil: 0 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.US: 0 confirmed blocks. 67 of 67 results confirmed in the last 48 hours.
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Blocked 31

The networks we test in Iran fail to open these, twice, while they open elsewhere. Data-center machines that get past the filter don’t count against a block the rest see. Most often, the name points to a private address.

  • Amnesty InternationalRights & petitions

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Parsian High Tech, Sindad Network Technology and Sefroyek Pardaz Engineering.

  • BBCNews

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Mobile Communication of Iran and ArvanCloud.

  • DiscordMessaging & calls

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat and ArvanCloud.

  • DWNews

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat and ArvanCloud.

  • ExpressVPNVPNs & privacy tools

    First observed on 1 Oct 2026

    The name points to a private address on Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat and ArvanCloud.

  • FacebookSocial media

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Tose'h Fanavari Ertebabat…, Sefroyek Pardaz Engineering and Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat.

  • GrindrSocial media

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat, Rightel Communication… and Tose'h Fanavari Ertebabat….

  • Human Rights WatchRights & petitions

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Mobile Communication of Iran and ArvanCloud.

  • InstagramSocial media

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Mobile Communication of Iran, Parsian High Tech and Rightel Communication….

  • LINEMessaging & calls

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Sefroyek Pardaz Engineering, Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat and Parsian High Tech.

  • MessengerMessaging & calls

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Iran Telecommunication, Hostiran Network and Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat.

  • MullvadVPNs & privacy tools

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The connection is cut on Sefroyek Pardaz Engineering and Sindad Network Technology.

  • NetflixVideo & music

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Iran Telecommunication, Rightel Communication… and Sindad Network Technology.

  • NordVPNVPNs & privacy tools

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Mobile Communication of Iran and ArvanCloud.

  • Proton VPNVPNs & privacy tools

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat and ArvanCloud.

  • PsiphonVPNs & privacy tools

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Parsian High Tech, Rightel Communication… and Hostiran Network.

  • Radio Free EuropeNews

    First observed on 1 Oct 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat, Sindad Network Technology and Parsian High Tech.

  • RedditSocial media

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat and ArvanCloud.

  • SignalMessaging & calls

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The connection is cut on Sefroyek Pardaz Engineering and ArvanCloud.

  • SnapchatSocial media

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Iran Telecommunication and ArvanCloud.

  • SoundCloudVideo & music

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Tose'h Fanavari Ertebabat… and ArvanCloud.

  • SurfsharkVPNs & privacy tools

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Rightel Communication…, Iran Telecommunication and Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat.

  • TelegramMessaging & calls

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The connection never completes on Sefroyek Pardaz Engineering and ArvanCloud.

  • TikTokSocial media

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Iran Telecommunication and ArvanCloud.

  • Tor ProjectVPNs & privacy tools

    First observed on 30 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat, Sindad Network Technology and Iran Telecommunication.

  • TumblrSocial media

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Rightel Communication…, Parsian High Tech and Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat.

  • TwitchVideo & music

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The connection is cut on Sefroyek Pardaz Engineering and ArvanCloud.

  • VimeoVideo & music

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Iran Telecommunication and ArvanCloud.

  • WhatsAppMessaging & calls

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Hostiran Network, Sefroyek Pardaz Engineering and Parsian High Tech.

  • X (Twitter)Social media

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Rightel Communication…, Hostiran Network and Sindad Network Technology.

  • YouTubeVideo & music

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on Iran Telecommunication and ArvanCloud.

Blocked on some networks 2

Some of the networks we test block these while others let them through, which is common where each provider carries out blocks itself.

  • Internet ArchiveSearch & web tools

    Since 4 Nov 2026

    The name points to a private address on Mobile Communication of Iran.

  • ViberMessaging & calls

    First observed on 29 Sep 2026

    The name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Sindad Network Technology and Parsian High Tech.

Unstable 1

Some networks timed out twice while others opened these. That can be a quiet slowdown or just a poor connection; we don’t count it as a block.

  • ThreadsSocial media

    Since 7 Oct 2026

    The secure connection stalls on ArvanCloud, Parsian High Tech and Sindad Network Technology.

Opens 33

Background

Internet censorship in Iran

Iran’s blocklist is set by the Committee to Determine Instances of Criminal Content, headed by the prosecutor general, and the penal code obliges every provider to filter what it bans; the judiciary and the Supreme National Security Council have also ordered blocks, including the 2018 ban on Telegram. The Supreme Council of Cyberspace sets internet policy, shutdowns are treated as national security decisions, and one state company, the Telecommunication Infrastructure Company, holds a monopoly on traffic in and out of the country.

Filtering is centralised, so a site can be blocked on every network within hours. Providers answer lookups for many banned sites with a private address that leads to Iran’s block page, and when WhatsApp and Instagram were blocked in 2022 their connections were also cut at the IP and encryption level. International traffic costs more than domestic traffic and is throttled at sensitive times, pushing people onto the National Information Network, a slow state intranet of approved local apps that kept running during the 2026 blackouts.

Iran has blocked Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, Telegram and Signal, along with nearly all international news sites and sites about LGBT+ rights and religious minorities. Instagram and WhatsApp, the only big foreign platforms still open, were blocked in September 2022 during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests over a young woman’s death in custody. The Supreme Council of Cyberspace lifted the bans on WhatsApp and Google Play in December 2024, but Instagram stayed blocked, and many people reach it through VPNs.

Iran’s shutdowns grew longer in 2025 and 2026: it cut the internet almost entirely during the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025, again from 8 January 2026 as protests spread, and from 28 February 2026, when war with the US and Israel began. International access began returning on 26 May, after 88 days, but in August traffic was still far below its level before January, and a ‘class-based’ system gives approved users, through ‘Internet Pro’ packages and ‘white SIM cards’, wider access than everyone else.

Are VPNs legal in Iran?

Iran bans unlicensed VPNs: the Supreme Council of Cyberspace prohibited using them in February 2024, after selling them had been made a crime in 2023, and the telecoms ministry has warned that selling or using illegal VPNs can bring fines or prison. Even so, many Iranians rely on VPNs to reach blocked platforms, and they have become more expensive since the 2026 war began.

Key dates

  1. International internet access begins to return on the president’s orders, after 88 days of near-total shutdown.
  2. A near-total blackout of the global internet begins as war with the US and Israel starts.
  3. Iran cuts internet access nationwide during mass protests, in an outage that lasts about 20 days.
  4. A near-total nationwide shutdown begins hours after Israel’s first air strikes and is lifted when the 12-day war ends.
  5. The Supreme Council of Cyberspace lifts the bans on WhatsApp and Google Play imposed in 2022.
  6. Instagram and WhatsApp are blocked during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, along with app stores and many VPNs.

Get past a block

Blocked in Iran?

A VPN connects you through a server in another country, so the blocks in Iran no longer apply. Where VPNs themselves are blocked, you need one that can disguise its traffic.

VPN websites are blocked there too: in our latest tests, nordvpn.com and surfshark.com don’t open in Iran, so install the app and sign in before you need it.

NordVPN

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  • Encrypts what your internet provider could otherwise see
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Best VPNs for Iran › Where VPNs are legal ›

We earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes what the monitor shows. Our disclosure.

History

Changes in Iran

  1. Gemini lets visitors in again from Iran

  2. Spotify is no longer blocked in Iran

  3. Spotify is now blocked on some networks in Iran

  4. Internet Archive is now blocked on some networks in Iran

  5. Gemini now turns away visitors from Iran

  6. Perplexity lets visitors in again from Iran

Method

How we test

  • Test machines inside Iran, most of them in data centers, open each site’s homepage every day.
  • A failure counts only when it happens twice on the same network, while the site opens from other countries.
  • A change is published only after re-checks a few hours later and again the next day, on several machines per provider, confirm it. It’s dated from the first sighting.
  • Test machines caught getting around blocks, through a VPN or a filter-dodging tool, are set aside.
  • We test websites, mostly over home broadband. Apps, calls and mobile networks can behave differently.

Full method ›

Questions

Censorship in Iran: questions

Is WhatsApp Blocked in Iran?

Not officially, but it is restricted again. Iran blocked WhatsApp in September 2022, during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, and the Supreme Council of Cyberspace lifted the ban, along with Google Play’s, in December 2024. In the 2026 shutdowns it went down with the rest of the global internet, though the costly ‘Internet Pro’ packages sold to approved users included it, and when international access returned in May 2026 an internet monitoring group reported WhatsApp restricted again. Our daily test runs into Iran’s block too.

Is Instagram Blocked in Iran?

Yes. Iran blocked Instagram in September 2022, during the protests over a young woman’s death in custody; until then it and WhatsApp were the only big foreign platforms still open there. Instagram wasn’t included when WhatsApp was unblocked in December 2024, and Iranians who use it reach it through VPNs.

How Long Did Iran’s 2026 Internet Shutdown Last?

There were two. The first began on 8 January 2026, during nationwide protests, and lasted about 20 days. The second, a near-total blackout of international access, began on 28 February, when war with the US and Israel started, and lasted 88 days, until access began to return on 26 May. Traffic was still far below normal in August.

Free to use

Cite these results

Quote or republish today’s results with a link to this page: the monitor’s data is under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY 4.0).

Sentence to quote

As of 14 Nov 2026, 33 of the 67 sites and apps in the vpnAlert Censorship Monitor are blocked in Iran.

Credit line

Source: vpnAlert Censorship Monitor, test of 14 Nov 2026, https://vpnalert.com/tools/censorship-monitor/iran/ (CC BY 4.0)

HTML link

<a href="https://vpnalert.com/tools/censorship-monitor/iran/">vpnAlert Censorship Monitor: What’s blocked in Iran</a> (test of 14 Nov 2026, CC BY 4.0)

APA

vpnAlert. (2026, November 14). What’s blocked in Iran. vpnAlert Censorship Monitor. https://vpnalert.com/tools/censorship-monitor/iran/

MLA

“What’s blocked in Iran.” vpnAlert Censorship Monitor, vpnAlert, 14 Nov 2026, vpnalert.com/tools/censorship-monitor/iran/.

Chicago

“What’s blocked in Iran,” vpnAlert Censorship Monitor, test of November 14, 2026, https://vpnalert.com/tools/censorship-monitor/iran/.

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vpnalert.com/tools/censorship-monitor/iran/ |title=What’s blocked in Iran |website=vpnAlert Censorship Monitor |publisher=vpnAlert |date=2026-11-14 |access-date=2026-11-14}}

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