The price of access: How war restructured Iran’s internet into a tiered and monetised system (opens in new tab)

Since late February 2026, a 40-day military confrontation between Iran, the United States, and Israel has unfolded across the region, following an initial wave of airstrikes that set in motion a cycle of retaliation and broader regional spillovers. The focus, unsurprisingly, has been on security and geopolitics. But the conflict also reshaped something less visible: the infrastructures that sustain connectivity. At approximately midday on 28 February, global internet access in Iran was effect...