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In an October 29 investigation, the Tehran newspaper Etemad reported that the regime’s parliamentary special committee was reviewing legislation titled “Regulation of Cyberspace,” widely regarded by critics as a revived version of the controversial Internet Protection Bill. Committee spokesperson Rouhollah Abbaspour reportedly confirmed that members had decided not to disclose details for now. The proposal, originally presented in a 12-article version, is reportedly being reconsidered in eight articles, leaving uncertainty about its final provisions.
Lawmaker Mostafa Pourdehghan challenged the initiative, asking: “What else is left that you haven’t done to this fragmented and filtered internet, that you’re now pursuing ‘regulation’?” He warned that renewed restrictions in the current atmosphere of tension would aggravate public anxiety. His intervention exposes a disagreement inside parliament over the political consequences of further internet controls, not simply their technical implementation or out of care for the freedom of expression.
Internet Restrictions Meet Economic Vulnerability
The draft provisions examined by Etemad include expanded powers for cyberspace authorities, restrictions or suspension of platform access, penalties for noncompliant services and punishment for unauthorized distribution of circumvention tools. Because the final text has not been published, these provisions should not be treated as enacted law. Their direction nonetheless indicates an effort to institutionalize stronger administrative and security control over online communication.
As the so-called ‘cyberspace protection bill’ continues to be pulled from the parliament to the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, some #Iranian regime's officials are pointing fingers at the #MEK to accelerate a decision.https://t.co/9HCMT0t98q
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 23, 2022
On October 29, Communications Ministry official Behzad Akbari offered another revealing admission. According to reporting attributed to Mehr, Akbari said cyberattacks originating from within Iran had exceeded those from abroad over the preceding ten days. He suggested compromised domestic devices might be involved but also acknowledged that government filtering contributed to deteriorating internet quality. His technical attribution has not been independently verified.
The administration is simultaneously confronting uncertainty over food assistance. Domestic reports have discussed removing as many as 15.5 million people from electronic food-voucher eligibility using household income and asset criteria. However, October 29 reporting indicated that definitive exclusion criteria and implementation dates had not been announced. State media claimed an additional 500,000 tomans in voucher credit has reportedly been allocated to around 11 million welfare recipients, but broader eligibility remains unsettled.
Meanwhile, the enforcement of compulsory dress codes is increasingly intersecting with employment security. Pasargad Bank CEO Majid Ghasemi ordered the dismissal of 15 employees at the group’s PAD subsidiary on October 27—14 women over compulsory hijab and one man for wearing jeans. Employees described new clothing requirements extending across affiliated companies, with some reportedly denied entry to workplaces for noncompliance. The reported measures follow explicit demands from senior judiciary officials that managers enforce hijab regulations within their organizations. The episode illustrates how employers can become instruments of social enforcement, placing workers under pressure to choose between complying with prescribed dress codes and protecting their livelihoods.
Guardian Council Approves New #Hijab Bill, #GenderApartheid #Iran
Turning the Violation of Iranian Women's Fundamental #HumanRights into Law
Even six months before the drafting of the new Hijab bill, as early as spring 2023, the regime had already intensified its repressive… pic.twitter.com/46oeHFd1bn— Women's Committee NCRI (@womenncri) October 20, 2024
Intelligence Ministry Announces Arrests in Southeast Iran
The Intelligence Ministry claimed on October 29 that it had dismantled four alleged armed cells in Sistan and Baluchestan, arresting 16 suspects and separately detaining three people accused of gathering information on security facilities. Its statement alleged foreign connections, linked some suspects to earlier police killings in Iranshahr, and listed seized weapons. The announcement follows the October 27 shooting at a police facility in Khash, although no connection between the incidents has been established. The latest claims also highlight a recurring contradiction in the authorities’ security narrative: despite repeated announcements of dismantled armed groups, arrests and seized weapons caches, armed attacks and clashes continue to be reported in southeastern Iran.
On October 29, customers awaiting delivery of Shahin vehicles reportedly protested outside the Tehran headquarters of state-linked automaker Saipa. Earlier, Tasnim reported that the company had acknowledged substantial overdue delivery commitments, production shortfalls and repeated delays. The protests draw attention to longstanding concerns over mismanagement, financial opacity and accountability in Iran’s state-dominated automotive industry, where customers can pay substantial sums upfront without receiving their vehicles on schedule.
Transport, Energy and Healthcare Under Strain
Transport industry representative Ehsan Malekzadeh told Mehr that freight charges on some Turkey-to-Iran shipments had reached $7,000, with trucks waiting 10–15 days at certain crossings. Around 3,600 trucks were reportedly backed up at the Pakistan border. These bottlenecks threaten to increase the domestic cost of imported goods and industrial supplies.
Iran’s deepening crisis: 88.7% #inflation, mass job losses, looming gas shortages, and mounting repression. Meanwhile, hardliners fear regional alliances could force a strategic retreat, erode loyalist morale, and leave the regime more vulnerable to renewed #IranProtests.
By Amir…— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 28, 2026
Meanwhile, National Gas Company chief Saeed Tavakoli reported a 30% rise in residential, commercial and small-industry gas consumption over five days, equivalent to approximately 70 million additional cubic meters. He acknowledged an exceptionally difficult year for gas supplies because of damaged infrastructure.
Separately, psychiatrist Amirhossein Jalali Nadoushan warned in an ILNA interview that psychiatric medicine shortages and rising prices were forcing treatment changes that could increase hospitalizations.
The developments expose a deepening dilemma for Iran’s ruling establishment: shrinking economic resources limit its ability to ease public hardship, while tighter repression risks fueling further unrest. Criticism of internet restrictions from within parliament reveals concern over the political costs of coercion. With mounting social discontent and diminishing capacity to contain it, the regime faces growing vulnerability to renewed nationwide protests.