An Iranian expatriate told Iran International on Thursday that there had been a communications blackout with Iran.
“There’s no way to reach anyone. They’ve taken the people hostage,” the citizen abroad said, expressing fear over the inability to contact family members inside the country.
The disruption comes amid escalating conflict and a wave of arrests tied to online expression.
Iran reserves the right to close the Strait of Hormuz if the United States joins Israel in military action against the Islamic Republic, Tehran MP Ali Yazdikhah said Thursday.
“If America enters the war, closing the Strait of Hormuz is our legitimate right,” Yazdikhah said, referencing the narrow waterway critical to global oil shipments.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged major powers to help defuse the Iran conflict in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while blaming Israel for fueling the crisis and calling for an immediate ceasefire.
“The parties to the conflict, especially Israel, should cease fire as soon as possible to prevent the situation from escalating in turn and resolutely avoid the spillover of war,” Xi said, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry readout.
Putin and Xi condemned Israel’s actions, the Kremlin said, with Putin again offering Russian mediation.
