SAEDNEWS: Top Iranian official Mohammad-Javad Larijani has called for a sweeping shutdown of foreign internet access, framing open connectivity as a threat to national security in the wake of recent regional conflict.
According to Saed News, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, head of Iran’s Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences and a senior conservative figure, has demanded a months-long restriction on foreign internet access. In a hardline op-ed published by the semi-official Fars News Agency, Larijani claimed that open internet is a national security liability, urging the government to abandon what he derided as “open-internet posturing.”
He argued that the recent military confrontation with Israel revealed extensive foreign infiltration networks operating within Iran, facilitated in part through digital platforms. “In the name of national security, we must impose full control, restriction, and oversight over external connections,” Larijani wrote, dismissing notions like “free access to information” as slogans that undermine sovereignty.
The controversial remarks come as part of a broader reflection on what Larijani heralds as Iran’s “historic victory” over Israeli aggression. His commentary blends spiritual rhetoric with geopolitical assertions, calling for a complete halt in cooperation with the IAEA, suspension of NPT obligations, and a unilateral closure of Iran’s nuclear dossier.
Most striking, however, is the internet clampdown proposal, which has sparked debate within Iran’s political and civil society spheres. While Iranian authorities have long censored online content, Larijani’s push for a total external shutdown marks a radical escalation, signalling a potential shift toward deeper digital isolation.
Critics warn such measures would further stifle civil freedoms, restrict business operations, and deepen Iran’s global disconnect—at a time when even its allies urge engagement, not retreat.
