Millions in Iran without internet for more than 48 hours

Iran’s internet blackout has now lasted for more than 48 hours, according to cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks, as the war enters its third day.

Internet shutdowns have previously been a go-to tactic for the regime, with a previous period of inactivity recorded in January for several weeks during anti-government protests.

CNN staff on the ground note there is some online connectivity and not a full-scale blackout like last month.

Meanwhile, Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic and a possible contender for the position of Iran’s next Supreme Leader, has urged the country’s citizens to remain on the streets and inside mosques.

“Do not leave the streets and mosques for a moment. Our soft power, the hearts of the people, and the presence of the people on the scene is what has kept us here,” Khomeini said, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

“From today until the end of the war, it is an objective obligation for everyone to be in the mosques, fill the mosques,” he said. “Our strongholds are the mosques and squares of the city. Every square must be occupied by the people, while they are wearing black clothes and holding the flag of Imam Hussein in their hands.”

Khomeini is the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, giving him religious and revolutionary legitimacy.

He serves as the custodian of the Khomeini mausoleum but hasn’t held public office and appears to have little influence with the country’s security apparatus or ruling elite. He is known to be less hardline than many of his peers and was barred from running for the Assembly of Experts in 2016.

Source: CNN

- Agencies