US sanctions and restrictions imposed through international digital service providers have disrupted Iranian websites’ access to the global internet, forcing several platforms to abandon international domain addresses and migrate to domestic alternatives as foreign providers restrict services used by Iranian businesses.

The disruptions began on Nov. 7, when sports website Varzesh3 and cryptocurrency exchange Tetherland reported problems accessing their .com domains.

Varzesh3, one of Iran’s major sports news platforms, which publishes match coverage, live scores and sports reports, announced that its website was accessible through varzesh3.ir.

Tetherland, an Iranian cryptocurrency exchange specializing in buying and selling Tether (USDT), also moved to tetherland.ir, assuring users that their digital assets remained secure.

By Nov. 8, the disruptions had extended to technology platform Hoosha, which provides access to artificial intelligence tools, and Virgool, an Iranian publishing platform where users write, share and read articles and personal blogs.

Hoosha attributed the disruptions affecting some Iranian .com domains to a foreign service provider, rejecting any connection to its domestic technical infrastructure or a security breach. The platform restored access through hoosha.ai and advised Iranian businesses to transfer their domains away from US-based registrar GoDaddy.

Meanwhile, Virgool reported that its international .io domain had been blocked without prior notice and said it was pursuing the issue through its domain provider’s support service.

The concerns had already prompted a warning from AFTA, a cybersecurity center operating under Iran’s presidency. On Oct. 29, the center urged organizations to migrate their websites to Iran’s domestic .ir domain, warning that sanctions-related restrictions could abruptly interrupt access to international extensions, including .com, .net and .org.