Intensified Internet Disruption in Iran; Users Claim 'Internet Enemies' Are at Work

News sources report disruptions in Iran's internet, with intensified outages over the past two weeks severely impacting online stores and reducing transactions. According to the U.S.-based website IODAI, which monitors global internet outages, Iran's internet experienced disruptions early in the morning on Tuesday, July 9. Citizen reports shared on social media confirm that internet disruptions have intensified, suggesting that 'internet enemies are at work.' Some users have noted that 'severe disruptions' have been ongoing for days, although the internet service from Irancell and Hamrah-e-Aval is better. The newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad confirmed the internet disruptions, stating that this situation has dealt a 'heavy blow' to online stores, including those on Instagram, reducing their transaction numbers. The report indicates that during the two weeks coinciding with the government voting to determine a successor to Raisi, the internet situation was such that 'most VPNs became non-functional' and 'public dissatisfaction with the slow internet speed peaked.' In recent days, coinciding with low public participation in the second round of government voting for Ibrahim Raisi's successor on Friday, July 15, severe internet disruptions and outages were reported in several cities, including Tehran, Ahvaz, and Rasht. Additionally, officials of the Islamic Republic are planning to further control and restrict the internet in Iran through a well-known plan called 'Protection,' which has previously caused significant controversy and widespread protests. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has previously described the virtual space as 'truly free' and 'unrestricted,' calling for its 'organization' as a priority through the establishment of a 'national internet' or plans like 'Protection.' Prince Reza Pahlavi stated that people did not submit to the 'election circus'; the destruction of the 'regime' is inevitable. The disruptions in the internet and empty polling stations during the second round of government voting for Raisi's succession have led to the closure of the Tehran stock exchange, cinemas, and sports events; internet outages and disruptions in the subways of western Tehran have been reported. The website 'Iran Watch' has been filtered; the site's manager stated that filtering is being carried out by 'Abaravan.' NetBlocks confirmed the internet disruptions in Iran; Filterban reported that the infrastructure network is under a 'DDoS attack.'