NetBlocks says Iran internet blackout enters 74th day
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said on Tuesday that Iran had been largely cut off from the global internet for 74 days, with the disruption passing 1,752 hours since Feb. 28.
"Today is the 74th day that Iran has been largely cut off the global internet," NetBlocks said in a post on X, adding that the outage began on Feb. 28.
The group said the restrictions had continued as advances in science and technology took place elsewhere, while Iranian authorities had arrested and executed technologists.
A Bahraini court sentenced a woman to life in prison after convicting her of communicating with Iran's Revolutionary Guards with intent to carry out hostile acts against the kingdom and harm its national interests, Bahrain's public prosecution said on Tuesday.
The prosecution said the woman used a social media account to post photos and coordinates of key sites and facilities in Bahrain and shared content that harmed the kingdom's military, political and economic standing.
Authorities said the account also promoted what the prosecution described as Iranian attacks against Bahrain.
The woman admitted to the charges during questioning, prosecutors said, adding that she told investigators she used her social media account to assist those targeting Bahrain by sharing images and coordinates of vital sites alongside messages indicating they could be targeted.
The prosecution said the court also ordered the confiscation of seized items. It did not identify the woman or say when the alleged acts took place.
Bahrain-Iran tensions
The ruling comes days after Bahrain said it had arrested 41 people allegedly linked to a group tied to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the ideology of Velayat-e Faqih, or Guardianship of the Jurist – the doctrine underpinning the Islamic Republic’s system of clerical rule and giving Iran’s supreme leader ultimate religious and political authority.
Authorities said legal proceedings were underway and investigations were continuing.
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani on Saturday accused Tehran of interfering in the kingdom's internal affairs after the arrests, calling it a violation of international law and good neighborly principles. Iran has not publicly responded to the accusations.
Israel has sent an Iron Dome battery and personnel to operate the air defense system to the United Arab Emirates, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday.
Huckabee made the remarks at an event in Tel Aviv and did not give further details. Israel and the UAE did not immediately comment.
The Iron Dome is Israel's short-range air defense system designed to intercept rockets and drones.
Iranians’ anger over internet shutdown is “completely justified,” the government spokesperson said on Tuesday, calling internet access a right of the people as the country remained in a digital blackout for over 70 days.
“The cause of this anger is the enemies who undermine our security environment,” Fatemeh Mohajerani said.
Mohajerani added that the aim of tiered internet, known as "Internet Pro," was merely to give businesses quality access, and vowed people’s connectivity would return once the threat of war receded.
Eight women political prisoners held in Tehran’s Evin Prison have been barred from meeting family members and lawyers following tighter security measures and pressure linked to collective protest activities inside the ward, according to information obtained by Iran International.
Shiva Esmaili, Golrokh Iraee, Sakineh Parvaneh, Forough Taghipour, Zahra Safaei, Marzieh Farsi, Elaheh Fouladi and Varisheh Moradi were denied visitation rights in recent weeks after participating in memorial gatherings and protest-related events inside the women’s ward, sources familiar with the situation said.
Prison authorities have also increased surveillance and patrols inside the ward, with officers entering cells daily and sometimes at night under the pretext of inspections, a source close to prisoners’ families told Iran International.
Women prisoners in Evin had for years marked political and ideological occasions through gatherings, songs, readings and commemorations for killed protesters and veteran activists, the source said. Prison officials have recently intervened directly in such activities and threatened participants, the source added.
The source said some women recently transferred to the ward were also warned by prison and security officials after attending a small number of the gatherings.
Prison staff have in recent months used insulting language toward detainees and threatened them with transfer to solitary confinement, another source familiar with conditions in the ward told Iran International.
Prisoners face solitary confinement threats
Ghazal Marzban, another woman prisoner in Evin, was recently held in solitary confinement for five nights after protesting the handling of her case, a source familiar with the situation said.
File photo of Eight women political prisoners held in Tehran’s Evin Prison who have been barred from meeting family members.
The women’s ward in Evin, often described by activists as a focal point of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, has repeatedly issued statements and organized protests over executions, arrests, economic hardship and the suppression of demonstrations in Iran.
Prisoners in the ward have also staged sit-ins and hunger strikes against death sentences in recent years, after which some faced punitive measures including restrictions on phone calls, visits and new legal cases.
A source close to prisoners’ families said the growing restrictions and threats of solitary confinement reflected efforts by prison and security authorities to silence dissent inside the ward.
Prisoner with tumors denied urgent treatment
Separate information obtained by Iran International shows that Mohtaram Parandin, an imprisoned artist and painter known as Mahshar, has been denied urgent medical treatment despite suffering from two tumors near the cerebellum and throat as well as severe heart disease.
A source familiar with her condition said prison doctors had warned that immediate surgery was necessary because the tumor near her cerebellum had affected her vision, speech and movement.
“The effects of the illness are visible in the way she walks and speaks,” the source said.
Despite recommendations from prison medical staff, authorities have not approved her transfer for treatment and have also rejected requests for medical leave and conditional release although she has served more than half of her sentence, the source added.
The source said documentation required for temporary medical leave had already been submitted to the prosecutor’s office.
Parandin, the mother of a teenage son, became the head of her household after the death of her husband. Her son also suffers from a chronic illness and has faced difficulties during her imprisonment.
Rights groups and prisoners’ families have for years accused Iranian prison authorities of denying political prisoners adequate medical care, with several detainees dying in custody after prolonged illness or delayed treatment.
A senior official in Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy said Tehran closely monitors developments in the region and would not allow any violation of its waters or interests, state media reported on Tuesday.
Mohammad Akbarzadeh, political deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, said Iran's armed forces tracked movements in and around the Strait of Hormuz and stood ready to respond to what he described as provocative actions.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran monitors regional movements with precision and authority and will not allow any encroachment on its waters and interests," Akbarzadeh said in televised remarks.
Akbarzadeh also said Iran had adopted what he described as a broader strategic approach to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route, and that the country's naval forces remained active in the area.
