Internet Disruption in Iran Amid Government Threats to Cut Access

Monitoring system data showed signs of connectivity disruptions in several Iranian provinces, coinciding with a sharp and short-term decline in network access indicators during the early hours of this Friday.

The specialized Iranian telecommunications site "Setna" reported that general internet connectivity indicators in Iran returned to normal levels this Friday morning, despite continued monitoring of disruption signs in some regions of the country.

According to the site, the provinces where signs of disruption appeared included: Tehran, Isfahan, Fars, Gilan, Razavi Khorasan, Kermanshah, Golestan, as well as East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, and Ardabil.

Similar indicators were recorded in the provinces of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Zanjan, Yazd, Markazi, while Lorestan province was listed among areas that may have experienced disruptions.

The report noted that available data does not yet confirm a general decrease in internet speed across Iran, nor did it specify the causes of the recorded disruptions.

Vahid Yazdaniyan, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Iran, previously stated that the possibility of cutting off the internet again remains valid in the event of a new war or protests, noting that the level of potential restrictions has not yet been determined.

Yazdaniyan said in a recent interview with Iranian television that the decision-making mechanism regarding internet shutdowns could change in the next phase, explaining that the role of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian may become more influential in this matter, given his insistence that internet cuts must occur exclusively by his order.

He added that the nature and extent of potential restrictions remain unclear should security conditions recur that might necessitate restricting access to the network.