Mahla, an interior designer in Tehran, says she has been forced to sell her valuables and gold to pay employees as Iran's internet shutdown, imposed at the start of the Middle East war, tanks her business.
The internet blackout, which was put in place soon after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, was already the longest nationwide shutdown on record as of April 5, according to NetBlocks, which says it has now lasted more than 50 days.
kAmxC2?VD 9:89=J C6DEC:4E65 =@42= :?EC2?6E 92D 366? H@C<:?8 E9C@F89@FE E96 H2C[ 2==@H:?8 A6@A=6 E@ 4@??64E E@ 5@>6DE:4 H63D:E6D[ 3FE :EVD :?DF77:4:6?E 7@C ?@C>2= 3FD:?6DD6D :? 2 4@F?ECJ 2=C625J 4C:AA=65 3J :?E6C?2E:@?2= D2?4E:@?D]k^Am
kAmt?EC6AC6?6FCD =:<6 |29=2[ dd[ 92G6 366? 56AC:G65 @7 QAC@A6C 2446DD E@ 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46 E@@=D[ v@@8=6 @C 6G6? 6>2:=DQ[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 H2C 2?5 D:?46 2?E:\8@G6C?>6?E AC@E6DED :? y2?F2CJ[ 5FC:?8 H9:49 E96 :?E6C?6E H2D 2=D@ D9FE 5@H?[ QE96 D:EF2E:@? 92D C6>2:?65 F?DE23=6[Q D2:5 E96 H@>2?[ H9@ ?@H @?=J 92D @?6 6>A=@J66]k^Am
kAm%96 C6DEC:4E:@?D 2C6 E2<:?8 2 E@== @? 3FD:?6DD @H?6CDV >@C2=6]k^Am
kAmQ|2?J A6@A=6 42? ?@ =@?86C H@C<] %96J 766= 6I92FDE65[ @G6CH96=>65 2?5 9@A6=6DD[Q D96 D2:5[ 2?8CJ 2E E9@D6 QE2<:?8 25G2?E286 @7 E96 D:EF2E:@? E@ D6== 72<6 '!}D 2?5 D42> A6@A=6Q]k^Am
kAmtG6? 367@C6 E96 3=24<@FE[ 2446DD :? xC2? H2D 962G:=J 7:=E6C65[ H:E9 >2?J D@4:2= >65:2 A=2E7@C>D 3=@4<65[ C6BF:C:?8 E96 FD6 @7 '!} D@7EH2C6 E@ 3JA2DD C6DEC:4E:@?D]k^Am
kAm|295:[ 2 ch\J62C\@=5 244@F?E2?E :? %69C2?[ D2:5 E96 ;@3 D:EF2E:@? E92E H2D 2=C625J 325 925 @?=J 8@EE6? H@CD6]k^Am
kAmQ%@ 7:?5 H@C<[ J@F ?665 :?E6C?6E 2446DD[ 3FE :EVD ?@E H@C<:?8] p?5 E96 ;@3 A@DE:?8D @? H63D:E6D 2C6?VE 36:?8 FA52E65[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ |:==:@?D 2 52J \k^9am
kAmz6J 64@?@>:4 :?5:42E@CD 2C6 ?@E 2=H2JD 2G2:=23=6 :? 2 4@F?ECJ H96C6 2== 4@>>F?:42E:@? :D E:89E=J 4@?EC@==65]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 :?E6C?6E D9FE5@H? 92D 4=62C=J Q:?7=:4E65 4@?D:56C23=6 52>286 @? E96 5:8:E2= 64@?@>JQ[ E96 &$\32D65 wF>2? #:89ED p4E:G:DED }6HD p86?4J Ww#p}pX D2:5 E9:D H66< @? )]k^Am
kAm%6=64@>>F?:42E:@?D |:?:DE6C $2EE2C w2D96>: 6DE:>2E65 E96 =@DD6D 2E Sbd >:==:@? A6C 52J]k^Am
kAm%96D6 7:8FC6D H6C6 324<65 FA 3J 724E\4964<:?8 H63D:E6 u24E }2>69[ H9:49 AF3=:D965 6I46CAED 7C@> 2? pAC:= `b DA6649 3J p7D9:? z@=29:[ 9625 @7 x% 2?5 6?6C8J 4@>A2?J #29?2>2]k^Am
kAm%96 49:67 6I64FE:G6 6DE:>2E65 2 5:C64E :>A24E @7 Sb_ E@ Sc_ >:==:@? A6C 52J 7C@> E96 3=24<@FE]k^Am
kAmQ(6 2C6 =@D:?8 E96 6BF:G2=6?E @7 EH@ >65:F>\D:K65 A@H6C A=2?ED A6C 52J[ 2?5 :EVD @FC 72F=E[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmt?EC6AC6?6FCD 23C@25 H9@ 92G6 DE277 :? xC2? 2C6 2=D@ 766=:?8 E96 :>A24E]Â k^Am
kAm|2CJ2>[ bg[ @H?6C @7 2 !2C:D\32D65 @?=:?6 4@>A2?J E92E 6>A=@JD E9C66 A6@A=6 :? %69C2?[ D2:5 96C @C56CD 92G6 72==6?]k^Am
kAmQx? E96 =2DE EH@ >@?E9D[ H6VG6 @?=J C646:G65 `_ @C56CD[ ;FDE 7@FC @7 H9:49 42>6 27E6C E96 462D67:C6[Q D96 D2:5[ 255:?8 E96 3FD:?6DD H@F=5 FDF2==J 86E E9C66 @C 7@FC @C56CD 2 52J]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 2 ]4@> H63D:E6 2D H6== 2D %6=68C2>[ (92EDpAA[ 2?5 x?DE28C2>[ 2?5 ?@?6 @7 E96D6 D6CG:46D 2C6 62D:=J 2446DD:3=6[Q D96 25565]k^Am
kAmQx 42?VE 6G6? 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 >J 6>A=@J66D 3642FD6 x 5@?VE H2?E E@ FD6 xC2?:2? :?E6C?2= 2AA=:42E:@?D 7@C D64FC:EJ C62D@?D] xVG6 AC24E:42==J =@DE 4@?E24E H:E9 E96 A6@A=6 x H@C< H:E9 D:?46 E96 7:CDE H66< @7 E96 H2C]Qk^Am
kAmuC@> E:>6 E@ E:>6[ CF>@FCD 4:C4F=2E6 23@FE 2 A2CE:2=[ @C 6G6? 4@>A=6E6[ C6EFC? @7 E96 :?E6C?6E]k^Am
kAmqFE 6G6? 27E6C E96 H2G6 @7 AC@E6DED :? y2?F2CJ[ :E H2D @?=J A2CE:2==J C6DE@C65 367@C6 36:?8 4@>A=6E6=J 4FE @77 282:? H:E9 E96 @FE3C62< @7 E96 H2C]k^Am
kAmw@A6 :D 725:?8 E92E E96 :?E6C?6E H:== 36 C6DE@C65[ 6G6? 2D 5:A=@>2E:4 677@CED 36EH66? (2D9:?8E@? 2?5 %69C2? 42CCJ @?]Â k^Am
kAmp>:C[ c_[ D2:5 96 5:5?VE 36=:6G6 E96 :?E6C?6E H@F=5 6G6C C6EFC? E@ E96 4@F?ECJ[ 9:D 2?86C 2E E96 xD=2>:4 C6AF3=:4VD =6256CD 8C@H:?8 3J E96 52J]k^Am
kAmQtG6? E@52J[ E96J 2??@F?465 E92E 4@?5:E:@?D H6C6 ?@E 72G@FC23=6 7@C C6DE@C:?8 E96 4@??64E:@?[Q 96 E@=5 pu! @? uC:52J]k^Am
kAmqFE QE96J ?6G6C D2J :EVD @FC C:89E[ @?=J E92E WE96 @FE286X :D 325 7@C E96 64@?@>JPQk^Am
kAm3FC^5=2^2?3^;7I^54Ak^Am