Iran’s top telecommunications official has pledged that nationwide internet access will be restored within hours, as public pressure mounts following a sweeping shutdown imposed during a deadly protest crackdown.
Speaking to local media on Saturday, Behzad Akbari, chief executive of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Company, said connectivity would return “today or tomorrow,” according to the Fars news agency. He added that the Supreme National Security Council had approved the move late Friday and formally notified the communications ministry.
“God willing, this issue will be resolved today or tomorrow,” Akbari said. His company oversees Iran’s core telecom infrastructure.
Fars reported that international internet access briefly returned but was cut again after about 30 minutes. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks also detected the short-lived restoration. Officials from the communications ministry told Fars that a full return would take time, citing technical complexities.
Iran severed most of its digital links to the outside world on January 8 as large-scale protests spread across the country. During the blackout, authorities intensified a crackdown on demonstrators. Human rights organizations say the death toll runs into the thousands, with the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights warning the final number could exceed 25,000.
The Iranian government disputes those figures, putting the death toll at 3,117. Officials say 2,427 of those killed were “martyrs,” a term used to separate security personnel and civilians from those described as “rioters” allegedly influenced by foreign actors, including the United States and Israel.
Earlier on Saturday, Yousef Pezeshkian, son of President Masoud Pezeshkian and a government adviser, publicly urged authorities to restore connectivity. In a message posted on Telegram and later cited by state news agency IRNA, he warned that prolonging the shutdown would deepen public frustration.
“Keeping the internet shut will create dissatisfaction and widen the gap between the people and the government,” he wrote, adding that the risk of continued anger outweighed fears of renewed protests once access returns.
For millions of Iranians, the internet blackout has not only silenced news and social media but also cut off families from loved ones, businesses from customers, and students from education. As officials promise reconnection, ordinary people are waiting for more than just a signal—they are hoping for reassurance, transparency, and a path back to normal life. — AFP
