Internet connection being restored in Iran tonight

Iran's internet connection is being restored at 20:00 local time (17:30 BST) on Saturday.

It has been nearly three days since the government imposed a nationwide internet shutdown, cutting off the majority of Iran’s 91 million people from the outside world.

Iranian state media now reports that the cyberattacks that caused the internet to be shut off have been repelled.

The internet blackout in Iran has been described as “the worst” in the country’s already troubled history of internet control.

Tasnim News Agency, which is closely affiliated with Iran’s government, quoted the information minister as saying access to “international” internet should be fully restored across the country by 8pm.

Those in the diaspora posted on social media about connecting to FaceTime or WhatsApp to call relatives they had been worried about.

Iran on Thursday imposed a "nationwide internet shutdown" according to NetBlocks, resulting in the most extensive blackout since widespread anti-government protests in 2019.