Iran has begun taking steps to create its own closed network to replace the global internet.
One step in this direction is a “white list“ of all websites that will now be accessible in the country, writes The Guardian.
According to Iranian digital rights expert Amir Rashidi, this list includes local search engines, maps and navigation services, messaging apps and a local streaming service that publishes only state-approved videos.
A “skeleton version“ of the already functioning of the local internet, significantly more restricted than even China's, controlled by the government and virtually cut off from the outside world.
According to Rashidi and Doug Madori, director of internet analysis at Kentik, this could mean that the internet in Iran, as it exists today, could disappear forever. “They are preparing for the long term“, Madori said.
Instead of the global internet, North Korea currently operates its own internal network called “Kwangmyong“. The network is accessible at universities, government agencies, some libraries and state-owned enterprises. It includes government information portals, news sites, educational resources, digital libraries and local equivalents of search engines and email. “Kwangmyong“ is completely controlled by the state.
The Iranian authorities decided to shut down the internet throughout the country on January 8 amid mass protests that began on December 28, 2025. The Iranian Foreign Ministry claims that they were organized by the United States and Israel.
Despite the widespread disruption of communications in the country, however, protesters continue to use Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet system. The government has "effectively criminalized" Starlink - the law states that its use is tantamount to espionage operations for Israel and the US CIA, Rashidi noted.
To jam the terminals, Iran is using military means similar to those used to jam drones on the front lines in Ukraine, the expert added.