SHOCK: Internet to be Restored on Condition of Return to Calm
11 parliamentary representatives have submitted a notice to the Interior Minister regarding the continuation of internet shutdown. A member of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce says we don’t know where our shipments are and how transactions are. A member of the Hope faction described the continuation of internet shutdown as having security consequences.
MohammadReza Tabesh, representative of Ardakan and member of the Hope faction, has announced that the continuation of internet shutdown is undesirable and has negative consequences. Referring to the disruption of many activities including university activities, he said: “On the other hand, when there is no adequate space in society for healthy entertainment including musical or sports activities, the internet and social networks can fill many of these gaps. Therefore, deprivation from it can have psychological, mental, and even security consequences.”
Tabesh, describing the internet as oxygen for society, called for people to gain access to cyberspace as soon as possible.
Simultaneously, Tayebeh Siavashi, representative of Tehran, said: “The internet was supposed to be cut for 24 hours, not 72 hours.” She added that the Interior Minister should be accountable for the current disruption in people’s lives and businesses.
Ms. Siavashi reported the notice from 11 parliamentary representatives to the Interior Minister and expressed hope that people’s internet connection would be restored as soon as possible. Mostafa Kavakebian, Mahmoud Sadeghi, Hamideh Zarabadi, Fateme Saeedi, Fateme Hosseini, Alireza Mohjou, and Mohammad Ali Vakili are among the representatives who signed this notice.
Disruption in Exports
Ali Kalahi, a member of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, also told ILNA news agency that the internet shutdown has dealt a severe blow to the country’s international business reputation: “When a company cannot send a simple email to its counterpart, what guarantee does it have for working in the international arena because the foreign party thinks that perhaps tomorrow a new restriction will be imposed and the entire deal will be jeopardized.”
He quoted the commercial director of a petrochemical company as saying: “We have faced problems in exports and now we have no information about where our shipments are? What is the status of the ships? If the internet is connected today and tomorrow, perhaps we can compensate for some of the damage done to international reputation, but if this situation continues, it will definitely be too late.”
Ali Kalahi stated that after months of running around, they had managed to open a bank account in a European country under sanctions conditions: “But now for 3 days the bank has been waiting for us to send documents by email, but we cannot. When we informed them that the internet was cut off, they were completely shocked.”
Domestic Iranian media report that the country’s economy has suffered more than 2,000 billion tomans in damages in recent days due to destruction of public property, raids on chain stores, and gas stations. However, the main sector that has been hit is cyberspace and businesses operating in this space. Reports mention “difficult days for startups” and damage of 1,500 billion tomans resulting from internet restrictions in Iran.
Internet Businesses Locked Down
The Minister of Communications said that some internet businesses have experienced a 90 percent decrease in transactions in recent days, and academics have also faced problems in searching for educational and research resources: “Yesterday a woman contacted the ministry and said she had spent 4,000 euros to participate in an exam in one country, and now to follow up on the exam results, she needs access to email, and the time, effort, and money she spent on this is being wasted.”
In this regard, Ali Rabiee, government spokesman, said on Wednesday, the 29th of Aban, at the margin of the cabinet session, that the decision on internet connection is the responsibility of the Supreme National Security Council: “There are considerations that, if observed, internet connection in the provinces will begin soon to address the concerns of internet workers.”
Internet in Iran was cut off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, the 25th of Aban, by decision of the country’s Security Council (SHOCK), and the lack of access went beyond the claimed 24 hours. None of the officials have announced a specific time for internet reconnection, but there are whispers that the internet will be reconnected on Saturday.
Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Minister of Communications, has acknowledged that regarding internet reconnection, he does not have a “time estimate,” but hopes that this connection will happen as soon as possible.
Mohammad Javad Kolivand, member of the country’s Security Council, told ISNA news agency that establishing nationwide internet in Iran requires the return of calm to the country: “The decision to cut off the internet was a collective decision, and the decision to restore it also depends on the collective decision and the country’s situation. Certainly, soon, based on reports received from different areas, a decision will be made.”
Source: DW
