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Iran’s Internet Blackout Sends Iranians to Turkey for Access as Partial Service Flickers

Human rights groups now estimate more than 3,000 deaths from the crackdown.

People, mostly Iranians, wait at Kapikoy border post between Turkey and Iran, in Kapikoy, Turkey, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Serra Yedikardes)
People, mostly Iranians, wait after crossing Kapikoy border post between Turkey and Iran, in Kapikoy, Turkey, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Serra Yedikardes)
People, mostly Iranians, wait after crossing Kapikoy border post between Turkey and Iran, in Kapikoy, Turkey, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Serra Yedikardes)
People wait at Kapikoy border post between Turkey and Iran, in Kapikoy, Turkey, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Serra Yedikardes)

Overview

  • Internet access has been largely blocked since Jan. 8, though witnesses reported brief returns of texting and limited service in parts of Iran on Saturday.
  • Turkey’s Kapikoy/Van crossing remains open without a mass influx, but many Iranians are making short trips to get online.
  • Travelers describe using cross-border connectivity to upload work, submit university applications, and protect jobs disrupted by the shutdown.
  • The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports at least 3,095 people killed, while other groups have cited figures above 2,600, and protests have subsided into an uneasy calm.
  • The United States announced new sanctions on Iranian officials on Thursday as Iranians express divided views on potential foreign intervention.