By Nohad Topalian | 2026-06-01

President Masoud Pezeshkian announced a special committee on May 13, tasking his First Vice President with ending severe internet disruptions in Iran.

Many Iranians question the President’s actual authority to fulfill this commitment given the major political sensitivities he must overcome within the government.

He faces fierce resistance from powerful, unelected state institutions, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the influential Supreme Council of Cyberspace.

"Pezeshkian is not aligned with the security establishment and therefore lacks the capacity to impose policies upon the powerful security apparatus," political writer Mustafa Fahs told Pishtaz.

The inherent risk in Pezeshkian's proposal involves enabling uncontrolled communication with the outside world, making the initiative's feasibility highly questionable.

These severe restrictions followed the US-Israeli strikes on February 28 that abruptly cut millions of citizens off from the broader global internet network.

In the wake of these events, the government established a "tiered" system offering premium services and "White SIM Cards".

While ordinary citizens remain blocked, these services provide global connectivity exclusively to approved businesses and the powerful elite.

This pervasive digital discrimination highlights institutionalized inequality and has subsequently sparked widespread public outrage across the entire country.

Blocking international access has caused substantial technical complications, severely paralyzing significant economic activity throughout Iran.

This crisis now threatens millions of jobs in the e-commerce and digital sectors, exacerbated by expiring software licenses and the loss of essential global tools.

Fahs predicted "public and elite criticism would spill over internationally, demonstrating the populace's strong rejection of the repressive ruling regime."

The Islamic Republic's class-based discrimination fuels public discontent and institutional corruption, paving the way for social unrest.