Iran has officially activated its long-planned national internet network, a move that fundamentally reshapes how information flows inside the country. Often compared to China’s Great Firewall, this system is designed to allow the Iranian state to operate a fully controlled domestic intranet while restricting or selectively cutting access to the global internet.
For years, this project was discussed as a contingency plan. Now, it is operational — at least for government bodies and state institutions — marking a major escalation in Iran’s push for digital sovereignty and information control.
What exactly has Iran launched?
Iran has developed a national internet infrastructure that functions independently from the global web. Instead of relying on international routing and foreign platforms, traffic is redirected to state-approved domestic services hosted on local servers.
This means that even if Iran disconnects from the global internet, core digital services continue to function internally — including:
• Local search engines
• Domestic messaging apps
• Government-approved maps and navigation
• Banking and payment systems
• State media platforms
• Administrative and public-sector networks
In effect, Iran can now digitally seal its borders without collapsing its internal economy or governance systems.
Why is Iran doing this?
According to Iranian officials, the primary goal is national security and information control.
The government argues that foreign intelligence agencies — particularly Mossad and the CIA — use open internet platforms to spread propaganda, coordinate protests, and influence internal political stability.
From Tehran’s perspective, unrestricted access to global social media and messaging platforms creates vulnerabilities that can be exploited during periods of unrest. The new system is meant to neutralize external influence while maintaining internal connectivity.
This wasn’t built overnight
This project has been more than a decade in the making.
Iran began laying the foundations years ago by: • Expanding domestic data centers
• Forcing key services to host data locally
• Developing Iranian alternatives to global platforms
• Gradually routing traffic through state-controlled exchange points
What we’re seeing now is not an experiment — it’s the activation of a mature backup system that can replace the global internet at a moment’s notice.
How is this similar to China’s Great Firewall?
The comparison to China is accurate in structure, but not identical in scale.
Like China, Iran now has: • Centralized traffic control
• Content filtering and monitoring
• Platform-level access approvals
• Domestic alternatives to global apps
However, China’s system is deeply integrated into its economy and daily life, while Iran’s model is still transitioning. This rollout suggests Iran is moving toward a Chinese-style digital governance model, adapted to its own political realities.
What changes for ordinary users?
For regular citizens, the impact will depend on how aggressively the system is enforced.
In a full isolation scenario: • Global platforms may become inaccessible or extremely slow
• VPN usage will likely be restricted or criminalized
• Local apps and services will be prioritized and promoted
• Information flow will be tightly curated
In partial enforcement, Iran can throttle, filter, or selectively block the global internet while keeping essential services running.
Why this matters globally
This is bigger than Iran.
It signals a growing trend where nations are preparing for a fragmented internet, sometimes called the “splinternet” — where countries operate semi-independent digital ecosystems instead of a single open global network.
For geopolitics, this means: • Greater state control over information
• Reduced effectiveness of foreign influence campaigns
• Higher barriers for global tech companies
• Increased use of digital infrastructure as a political weapon
Final perspective
Iran’s national internet is not just a technical upgrade — it’s a strategic power move.
By making itself capable of functioning offline from the global web, Iran reduces its exposure to external pressure, sanctions-driven disruptions, and information warfare. At the same time, it tightens internal control in ways that will significantly reshape civic life, media, and digital freedom.
Whether this model expands or remains limited will depend on internal stability and global tensions — but one thing is clear:
The era of one open internet for everyone is quietly ending.