On Thursday, Iran experienced its worst internet shutdown in years as anti-government protests escalated. Most of the country was cut off from the web. Only a small number of people still access the internet through special tools like Telegram proxies, Delta Chat, and Starlink terminals. Starlink, offered by SpaceX, provides internet via satellites and has been smuggled into Iran in large numbers over the past two years. Experts estimate there are between 50,000 to 100,000 Starlink terminals in Iran, but users are only a tiny fraction of the 90 million population. These terminals give hundreds of thousands of users a fragile link to the outside world. However, using them is dangerous. Iran considers Starlink possession as espionage for Israel and punishes it with up to 10 years in prison. The government actively hunts Starlink devices, jamming signals with military-grade tools and using drones to detect satellite dishes. The jamming tools are very costly and can only disrupt small areas, but they make internet access tough in many neighborhoods. Users often move their terminals secretly or use VPNs to avoid detection. Despite restrictions, Starlink users keep sending photos and videos, including images of protest violence and chants against Iran's leadership. Meanwhile, Iran is building a national internet. The state announced it will soon offer only government-approved sites and services, such as local search engines, messaging apps, maps, and even a local Netflix-like streaming platform. This network will be heavily censored and mostly isolated from the global internet. Experts warn this shift may be permanent. "Some people are saying that if things go back normal, there won’t be the internet. There will be only the national internet," said digital rights specialist Amir Rashidi. Iran appears to be preparing for long-term internet control and isolation.