Bipartisan Letter from Congress to Donald Trump; Request for Internet and Satellite Assistance for the People of Iran

Two Republican and Democratic representatives in the U.S. Congress sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging immediate action from the U.S. government to support the people of Iran amid widespread protests and extensive internet shutdowns by the Islamic Republic. The letter, initiated by Claudia Tenney, a Republican representative from New York, and Devin Nunes, a Democratic representative from California, requests that the President use available tools and new technologies, including satellite communications and secure internet freedom tools, to help the people of Iran bypass government restrictions and maintain communication with the outside world. According to the statement, peaceful protests that began in late December 2025 in response to severe inflation, economic collapse, and political repression in Iran quickly spread from Tehran to over 185 cities across all 31 provinces of the country. Reports indicate that at least two thousand people have been killed during the crackdowns, and more than 10,700 have been arrested. In the continuation of the crackdown, Islamic Republic officials have limited mobile internet and telecommunications since January 8, 2026, and blocked access to satellite services. Claudia Tenney, reacting to this situation, stated: 'The Iranian regime is trying to crush peaceful protests by cutting off people's communication with the world. Access to information is not a luxury; it is a vital lifeline.' She added that the United States has a moral responsibility as well as a strategic interest in helping people under authoritarian regimes to communicate, organize, and express their views freely. This letter and the statements from Congress members are part of the efforts and positions of U.S. Congress members in support of the Iranian people during the latest wave of nationwide protests and the bloody crackdown on protesters by the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, since last Friday, coinciding with the onset of the deadly crackdown on protesters in various cities in Iran, the Iranian government has cut off the internet and even regular phone calls for several days. Internet monitoring organization NetBlocks announced on Friday, January 26, that the internet shutdown in Iran has lasted over 180 hours, longer than the shutdown in November 2019, and no partial or regional restoration has been reported so far. Republican Senator: 'The murderous criminals of the Islamic Republic are waste that must be discarded.' This is in response to American lawmakers reacting to threatening images against the life of the President of the United States broadcast on Iranian state television.