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May 15, 2026
Analyzed by Llama- 4 Scout 17B 16E Instruct

Iran Expands Tiered Internet Access Amid Continued Online Blackout

AI Summary
Iran is introducing a tiered internet access model, allowing approved individuals and entities to have limited connectivity while the majority of citizens remain under a state-imposed internet shutdown. The move has been met with criticism from experts who argue it undermines the digital rights of Iranians.

The Lead

Iran is looking at ways of providing limited connectivity to approved individuals and entities amid a continued state-imposed internet shutdown, with a tiered access model currently being offered that experts have said still undermines the digital rights of Iranians.

The Event Details

President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday announced the creation of a new entity to review internet coverage in the country named the Specialised Headquarters for Organising and Guiding Iran’s Cyberspace, with First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, a relative moderate, appointed as its head.

  • Pezeshkian expects Aref to “create institutional cohesion and align policies and measures by relevant bodies” and “prevent parallel work and end multiple voices in the management of the country’s cyberspace”.
  • Aref is also expected to devise and enforce a roadmap to “overhaul cyberspace governance”.

The Data Analysis

The internet shutdown, which began on February 28, has affected over 90 million citizens, with users only able to access a slow and patchy intranet that supports state-approved local applications and content.

  • The Supreme National Security Council has launched a state-distributed service called “Internet Pro”, which provides users with slightly higher-tier internet services than those offered to most of the population.
  • The service is stated to be for businesses, university professors, lawyers, and other categories of people that the state deems eligible, but some state-linked entities have also been selling access at several times the official price.

The Impact Analysis

Experts believe that tiered internet access is here to stay in Iran, and that it is rooted in longstanding policies approved by the Supreme Council of Cyberspace after deadly nationwide protests in November 2019.

  • Amir Rashidi, a digital security expert, believes that the new cyberspace headquarters can, at most, provide “a mechanism for better coordination in implementing the policies of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace”.
  • Rashidi said there will be little hope of fundamental changes to government policy.

The Prediction

Authorities have pledged to restore the internet, but not until the war is concluded, and there is little sign of when that will happen.

  • Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said the internet situation is “temporary”.
  • However, experts and some government officials have expressed concerns that the internet shutdown has ended up harming the country more than defending against cyberattacks and other hostile operations.