Iranian president orders to restore internet access — agency

Lead

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued an order to reopen international internet access, according to Iranian state media, citing an official. The announcement comes after a near-total blackout that has lasted for more than 80 days, leaving most Iranians without access to the global web.

The report, carried by multiple outlets including the Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu, cites the head of public relations at Iran's Communications Ministry. The mechanism for how and when Iran would reconnect to the global web following the decision was unknown, as reported by Reuters.

Coverage Comparison

Coverage of the announcement has been largely consistent across international media, with most outlets focusing on the end of the blackout. The Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu all reported the same core facts: the presidential order, the duration of the blackout, and the context of the war against the US and Israel. TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported that Iranian authorities would restore access within 24 hours, citing the ISNA news agency, and also noted the order was issued by the Minister of Information and Communication Technologies, Sattar Hashemi.

Al Jazeera, however, provided a more critical perspective, focusing on the possibility of a tiered access model rather than a full restoration. According to Al Jazeera, Iran is looking at ways of providing limited connectivity to approved individuals and entities, and the Supreme National Security Council has launched a state-distributed service called 'Internet Pro'. This report also mentioned the creation of a new cyberspace headquarters to review internet coverage, which was announced by President Pezeshkian earlier.

Key Claims

• Presidential order to restore internet access: Multiple sources, including the Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu, report that President Pezeshkian has issued an order to reopen international internet access. This is corroborated by TASS, which cites a directive to lift restrictions.

• Duration of the blackout: The internet blackout has lasted for 87 days, according to the internet observatory NetBlocks, as reported by the Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu. TASS gives slightly different figures, citing 88 days in one report and 86 days in another.

• Limited access via VPNs: Only a few citizens had access to expensive and advanced VPNs that circumvent the restrictions, as reported by the same outlets.

• Initial cause of the blackout: Authorities initially imposed an internet blackout from January 8 in response to nationwide anti-government protests, with connections gradually returning in February, before a new blackout was initiated following the start of US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, according to the Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu.

• Restoration within 24 hours: A claim carried by a single outlet, TASS, citing ISNA, that Iranian authorities will restore access to the international segment of the internet within 24 hours. This has not been independently verified.

• Tiered access model: Al Jazeera reports that Iran is considering providing limited connectivity to approved individuals and entities, and that the Supreme National Security Council has launched a service called 'Internet Pro'. This claim is not mentioned in other coverage.

Perspectives

International media (Reuters, Jerusalem Post, SCMP, The Hindu): These outlets frame the story as the end of a prolonged blackout, emphasizing the presidential order and the context of the war with the US and Israel. They rely on official sources and NetBlocks data, and note the uncertainty about the reconnection mechanism.

Russian state media (TASS): TASS reports the restoration as a matter of fact, citing Iranian sources, and provides a specific timeline of 24 hours. It does not delve into the political context or potential limitations.

Al Jazeera: This outlet offers a more critical view, suggesting that the restoration may be limited and that a tiered access model is being implemented. It highlights the creation of a new cyberspace headquarters and the 'Internet Pro' service, indicating that full internet freedom may not be restored.

Note on timing: The reports from TASS are dated May 25 and 26, while other outlets report on May 25. The slight discrepancies in the duration of the blackout (86, 87, or 88 days) may be due to the timing of the reports. The Al Jazeera article appears to be from an earlier date, as it mentions the creation of the cyberspace headquarters, which was announced before the presidential order to restore access.