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As the clerical regime in Iran faces mounting internal dissent and geopolitical pressure, the ruling establishment is intensifying its control over digital infrastructure and online discourse—moves analysts increasingly view as components of a larger survival strategy rather than purely national security measures.
The regime’s renewed push for a so-called “national internet” is publicly framed as a defense mechanism against foreign cyberattacks and wartime vulnerabilities. Officials claim that isolating Iran’s internet infrastructure from the global network would reduce external threats and ensure continuity of essential services during crises. However, security experts challenge this narrative, citing continued cyberattacks even after internal networks were cut off during recent conflicts. High-profile hacks targeting Iran’s steel industry, nuclear facilities, and even the notorious Evin prison suggest that disconnecting from the global internet does not guarantee immunity.
At the heart of this policy is the promotion of state-endorsed “sanctions-bypass tools” as replacements for traditional VPNs. The clerical dictatorship insists VPNs create security vulnerabilities, yet critics argue it is the state-imposed censorship and monopoly over communication that force users into unsafe practices. The irony is evident: while the regime blames VPNs for compromising security, it drives users to rely on obscure, government-approved apps often accused of surveillance and data exploitation.
#Iran Teeters Toward Full Internet Blackout Amid Rising Tensionshttps://t.co/Zaesm5Hu0Q
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 18, 2025
Evidence of mass surveillance and data interception on domestic platforms further erodes the state’s credibility. Several Iranian-made messaging apps have not only admitted to monitoring user messages but have defended it as necessary for “moral oversight.” Weak encryption, history of breaches, and compliance with security agency demands have fostered widespread mistrust among Iranians, particularly amid concerns about personal safety and repression.
Beyond internal control, Iran’s digital efforts extend abroad. A report from the analytics firm Cyabra revealed that over 1,300 fake accounts previously engaged in debates around Scottish independence resurfaced during and after the recent 12-day Iran-Israel conflict. These accounts pivoted to a new mission: promoting Iran’s “resistance model,” mocking Western leaders, and legitimizing the clerical dictatorship’s regional aggression. Their coordinated activity halted when Iranian infrastructure was struck, only to resume once services were restored—further evidence, analysts say, of state orchestration.
Iran’s Cyber Army: A Force of Disinformation for a Cursed Causehttps://t.co/S3LusEN4HB
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 26, 2023
At the core of these aggressive digital controls lies a deep-seated fear: the uprising of the Iranian people. The clerical dictatorship understands that unrestricted access to information empowers citizens to uncover the truth about systemic corruption, state violence, and the regime’s failures. It allows them to connect with the organized Resistance, share experiences of repression, and coordinate protests across cities and social classes.
This fear of an informed and connected public—one capable of mobilizing en masse—is what truly drives the regime’s crackdown on digital freedoms. Every firewall, every state-sanctioned app, and every bot-driven campaign is ultimately aimed at delaying the moment when Iranians, armed with truth and unity, reclaim control of their future.
Experts warn that what is visible—state-backed censorship tools, bot armies, and national internet projects—is just the surface of a broader apparatus built to consolidate power in an increasingly unstable environment. Iran’s digital authoritarianism, they argue, reflects not confidence but desperation: a regime turning inward and lashing outward as it struggles to preserve its grip on a restless, explosive society.