**Iran Considers Lifting Internet Ban; State TV Hacked**
As Iran's streets have largely returned to calm after a week of violent protests, the country's authorities may be preparing to lift their internet blackout, which has been in place since anti-government demonstrations broke out in late December.
A senior parliament member, Ebrahim Azizi, revealed on Monday that top security bodies would decide on restoring internet services in the coming days, with service resuming "as soon as security conditions are appropriate." The move comes after authorities shut down communications, including international phone lines and the internet, during the crackdown on protesters.
However, state TV was briefly hacked late Sunday, showing speeches by U.S. President Donald Trump and Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, calling for a revolt to overthrow rule by the Shi'ite Muslim clerics who have run the country since the 1979 revolution.
The hack included messages from Pahlavi, who has emerged as a prominent opposition voice and plans to return to Iran. However, it is difficult to assess independently how strong support for him is inside the country.
Iran's clerical rulers claim that armed crowds encouraged by foreign enemies attacked hospitals and mosques during the protests. Opponents accuse authorities of opening fire on peaceful demonstrators to crush dissent.
The death toll from the violence dwarfs those of previous bouts of anti-government unrest put down by the authorities in 2022 and 2009. The confirmed death toll is over 5,000, including 500 members of the security forces, with some of the worst unrest taking place in ethnic Kurdish areas in the northwest.
Western-based Iranian rights groups also report thousands of deaths, while U.S.-based Iranian Kurdish rights group HRANA reported on Monday that a significant number of injuries to protesters came from pellet fire to the face and chest, leading to blindings, internal bleeding, and organ injuries.
**A Broader Narrative of Historical Grievances**
A reminder that Iran signed a nuclear agreement in 2015 with six countries, including the United States, Russia, and China. However, in 2018, during his first term in office, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement.
Iran insists that its nuclear development program is designed for peaceful purposes – securing nuclear fuel for nuclear power generation – and that it will continue uranium enrichment. To put into context the hypocrisy of the US administration, let's not forget that Mossadegh, Iran's prime minister, was overthrown in a 1953 CIA-backed coup known as Operation Ajax.
The current tensions with the U.S. and Israel are part of a broader narrative of historical grievances and ongoing geopolitical conflicts.
**Critique from Commenters**
Some commenters have questioned the role of outside influences, such as Mossad and the CIA, in promoting unrest in Iran. One commenter noted that "whenever they give a death count, I always wonder what fraction were killed by the Mossad/CIA-directed terrorists."
Another commenter pointed out that talking about "the people" is misleading, as not all Iranians support the Ayatollah regime or want it gone.
A university survey conducted in 2024 found that while a majority of Iranians say common ground and peaceful coexistence are possible between the Islamic world and the West, four in ten think conflict is inevitable. Support for Iran's missile program remains nearly unanimous, and a large and growing majority disagrees with calls to spend less money on developing missiles.
**Sources:**
* Netblocks * Reuters * HRANA