Conflicting statements by Iranian officials and state-linked media on May 28 highlighted growing internal divisions over internet restrictions, as millions in Iran continue to face disruptions following the world’s longest nationwide internet blackouts.
The latest dispute erupted after members of parliament and state-aligned media criticized attempts by the administration of President Massoud Pezeshkian to partially restore internet access through a newly formed digital oversight body.
According to comments published by the state-run Mehr News Agency on May 28, Ahmad Rastineh, spokesperson for the Cultural Commission of Iran’s parliament, said reopening unrestricted international internet access would be “against the law” and urged Pezeshkian to reverse the decision.
Rastineh argued that the newly formed “Headquarters for Organizing Cyberspace,” created by presidential order, overlaps with the authority of Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace, the body ultimately overseen by Supreme Leader.
“The reopening of international internet access beyond the approved framework is illegal,” Rastineh said, according to Mehr.
He also claimed unrestricted internet access had contributed to unrest during the January uprising, claiming that some detained teenagers had faced “identity and ideological challenges” because of “hostile media and cyberspace.”
At the same time, Morteza Mahmoudi, another member of parliament, criticized what he described as contradictory policies inside the government. In remarks published on May 28 by the Telegram channel of the state-linked newspaper Arman-e Melli, he said the Supreme National Security Council, chaired by Pezeshkian himself, had approved internet shutdowns, while the same administration later attempted to reverse the restrictions through another body.
“The result of this game of cutting and reconnecting the internet is nothing except manufacturing achievements for themselves,” Mahmoudi said.
The dispute widened further after the hardline newspaper Kayhan, known as the mouthpiece of Iran’s Supreme Leader, criticized the Ministry of Communications for refusing to defend the legality of the new internet body during a live television debate broadcast on May 27. According to Kayhan’s Telegram channel, a legal expert argued the body contradicted both Khamenei’s directives and Iran’s constitutional framework.
Meanwhile, the state-run ISNA News Agency published comments on May 28 from a lawyer defending the legality of the new structure, saying decisions made by the body remain valid unless formally dissolved by competent authorities.
The conflicting statements come as ordinary users across Iran continue reporting slow speeds, unstable mobile connections, and outages even after partial restoration efforts. On May 27, the state-linked website Khabar Online published complaints from users asking why internet shutdowns can be imposed “within minutes” while restoration takes far longer.
Iran’s internet crisis intensified after the outbreak of regional conflict in late February 2026, when authorities imposed sweeping restrictions that monitoring group NetBlocks later described as the longest nationwide internet shutdown in modern history. Rights groups and digital freedom advocates say the blackout severely affected businesses, students, medical access, and communication for millions of Iranians.
The shutdown also followed the January 2026 uprising, during which authorities imposed major internet restrictions while security forces carried out deadly crackdowns and mass arrests. Since then, the regime has continued expanding internet controls, while different factions inside the political establishment increasingly blame each other over the economic and political fallout of the blackout.