Tehran [Iran], January 13 (ANI): Iran’s top cyberspace authority on Monday announced that access to the global internet will remain restricted across the country until officials are satisfied that full security has been restored, as widespread anti-government protests continue over soaring inflation, economic hardship, and growing public anger over governance, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported.
According to Press TV, citing Mohammad Amin Aqamiri, President of Iran’s National Center for Cyberspace, the nationwide internet blackout imposed on January 9 amid unrest in multiple provinces will remain in effect for the time being. Aqamiri said the timeline for restoring full access would be announced only after security assessments are completed.
“The time to return to normal conditions will be announced in the future, and authorities must certainly brief us on security considerations,” Aqamiri was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency.
He described the shutdown as a necessary measure to counter what he termed “cognitive warfare” carried out by Iran’s adversaries in cyberspace. Aqamiri added that Iran’s domestic intranet system, known as the National Information Network (NIN), has been strengthened to ensure continuity of essential services despite limited access to the global internet.
“The NIN is a platform through which we can guarantee stable services for the public,” he said, noting that domestic messaging apps, search engines, and artificial intelligence services would be expanded to minimise disruption to daily life. Aqamiri also confirmed that online banking and shopping services remain accessible through the NIN.
According to NetBlocks, an internet governance and cybersecurity watchdog, 108 hours have passed since Iran implemented the nationwide internet shutdown. “Update: It has been 108 hours since #Iran introduced a nationwide internet shutdown, leaving Iranians isolated from the rest of the world and each other,” the organisation said in a post on X.
Iran’s Telecom Minister Sattar Hashemi said all government departments would comply with the decision of top security officials to maintain the restrictions, while continuing efforts to eventually restore full internet access, Press TV reported.
Meanwhile, Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has intensified calls for action, urging internet and communications specialists to help reconnect protesters with the outside world. As demonstrations entered their 16th day, Pahlavi emerged as a prominent supporter of what he described as a nationwide movement against the Islamic Republic.
Addressing protesters, Pahlavi compared them to Kaveh, a mythological Persian figure symbolising resistance against tyranny. “My compatriots, greetings to all of you who, like Kaveh, stand against Zahhak and fight,” he said. “The regime, through severe repression, killing, and cutting off communications, is trying to instill fear and despair, but your steadfastness has led thousands of military and security forces to refuse participation in repression.”
He issued a direct appeal to communications experts, saying, “Target the regime’s information infrastructure so that the connection of our compatriots with the world can be re-established.”
Earlier, in an interview with CBS News, Pahlavi called on US President Donald Trump to take action, arguing that early intervention could prevent further loss of life. “The best way to ensure that there will be less people killed in Iran is to intervene sooner, so this regime finally collapses,” he said.
Pahlavi, who has lived in exile since his father, the last Shah of Iran, was overthrown during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, said he has been in contact with the Trump administration, though he did not disclose details. He added that Tehran’s recent outreach to the US was an attempt to defuse protests threatening the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to the latest verified data from the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), at least 646 people have been killed in connection with the protests so far. The death toll includes 505 protesters, among them nine children, as well as 133 members of Iran’s military and security forces, one prosecutor, and seven civilians not involved in the demonstrations. HRANA reported that protests have spread nationwide, with 606 gatherings recorded across 187 cities. (ANI)
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