Iran's Internet and TV: A Shifting Landscape

Iran might soon bring back the internet, according to a top lawmaker. This comes after a week of quiet streets, following a violent crackdown on protests that started in late December. The unrest was among the worst since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A senior parliament member, Ebrahim Azizi, mentioned that the decision to restore internet access would depend on the security situation. Meanwhile, another lawmaker, Hamid Rasaei, criticized the government for not paying enough attention to warnings about cybersecurity from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The internet and phone lines were cut off during the protests, but the blackout has since eased a bit. This allowed reports of attacks on protesters to surface. On Sunday, state TV was hacked briefly, showing speeches by U. S. President Donald Trump and Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah. They both urged the public to rise up against the government.The protests were met with severe force, with reports of over 5, 000 deaths, including 500 security personnel. The worst of the violence happened in Kurdish areas. Opposition groups say thousands were killed, while the government blames armed crowds, influenced by foreign enemies, for attacking hospitals and mosques. The death toll is much higher than in previous protests in 2022 and 2009. Trump had threatened military action but backed off after the violence subsided. Pahlavi, who lives in the U. S. , has become a prominent opposition figure, though it's hard to gauge his support inside Iran.