Online commerce in Iran has come almost to a complete standstill amid the war, with hundreds of thousands of businesses affected nationwide, an industry insider in Tehran said on Thursday.
For nearly three weeks, Iran’s security authorities have cut off the population from the global internet, leaving users in the country of around 90 million people with access only to a restricted national network.
Most merchants, however, rely on worldwide platforms such as Instagram to market their products and services.
Iran’s internet is heavily censored even in peacetime, with many websites and apps blocked.
To access social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, many users rely on virtual private networks (VPNs). The sale of such services has also effectively become impossible under the current internet shutdown, said Morteza, a 33-year-old owner of a small computer shop.
The consumer electronics sector is also suffering. Morteza said that business was down as few people could afford to laptops or mobile phones.
“I don’t know who to curse any more: the regime, which is responsible for all this misery, the Americans, who are destroying the country instead of freeing it, or the Israelis, who want to take revenge for decades of hostilities,” he said.
