- Iran VPN usage has been skyrocketing since Friday, reaching peaks of over 700% increase so far
- Authorities imposed new internet restrictions on Friday following Israeli airstrikes
- Online commentators have also reported some VPN throttling issues
VPN usage in Iran has been skyrocketing since Friday, June 13, 2025, as citizens are looking for ways to keep accessing the global internet.
Iranian authorities imposed new internet restrictions on Friday following the first Israeli airstrikes. These measures follow threats of legal actions coming from Iran’s Prosecutor General against media and social media users for content that “disrupts society’s psychological security,” IranWire reported.
⚠️ Confirmed: Analysis shows a decline in international internet traffic from #Iran, corroborating user reports of poor service, with gateway and virtual server providers particularly impacted as the Ministry of Communications announces temporary internet restrictions; the… pic.twitter.com/a8iEiZqunWJune 13, 2025
According to the latest data coming from Top10VPN, the demand for the best VPN apps in Iran has seen peaks of up to 707% over the baseline level.
Specifically, VPN usage began rising on Friday by 425%, reached a 530% increase the following day, and over 700% on Sunday. While the data for Monday remains incomplete, experts recorded a rise in demand of at least 623% at the time of writing.
Commenting on the findings, the Head of Research at Top10VPN, Simon Migliano, told TechRadar: “The decision by the Iranian authorities to impose internet restrictions as its citizens suffer such incredible upheavals is simply cruel. It’s no surprise then that Iranians are turning to VPNs in such huge numbers, given the circumstances.”
Despite these numbers, there have also been some reports of VPN throttling as users lamented that their VPN apps are not working at all times.
Are VPNs legal in Iran?
A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts all internet connections while spoofing a user’s real IP address location. This skill is exactly what’s needed to bypass geo-restrictions like those in place in Iran.
Iranian authorities know this very well and have been busy preventing the use of Iran VPN over the years.
For example, in 2023, Iran was second only to China for VPN censorship. This also occurred in 2024, when Iran topped the VPN censoring list across the country’s official app stores.
Not only VPN-targeted blocking, though. The regime has even challenged the legality of using a VPN in the first place. In February 2024, Iran outlawed “unauthorized” VPNs, banning their usage without a legal permit. Three months later, the government also resurrected an internet bill that could put VPN usage at risk even more.
Despite all these efforts, the usage of VPN-like tools remains high even after authorities lifted the 2-year blockage on WhatsApp and Google Play last January. Now, people have been turning to this circumventing software en masse, no matter the consequences.
“When your home is at risk and loved ones are in danger, it’s critical that you can reliably access messaging apps, social media, and international news sites. That VPNs are banned will be the last thing on anyone’s mind right now in Iran,” said Migliano.
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chiara.castro@futurenet.com (Chiara Castro)
