Lifting internet restrictions is a gift to enemies, Iranian lawmakers warn

One hundred thirty-six members of Iran's parliament have warned the Supreme Council of Cyberspace (SCC), a government body responsible for overseeing the country’s internet governance, that a proposal to lift internet filtering would be a gift to the enemies in the soft war.

"Raising such an issue, especially in these critical times for the region and the world, is deeply concerning and amounts to a surprise gift to the enemies in the soft war against Iran," the lawmakers said, adding that Iran’s adversaries seek to incite unrest and social turmoil in the country.

They urged the council not to be swayed by emotional and sensationalist rhetoric in making its decision.

Iran has one of the world’s worst internet censorships with tens of thousands of websites blocked since the early 2000s and most major social media platforms banned.

Critics of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian have recently said that the ongoing deadlock over enforcing the new hijab law and lifting censorship on the Internet has effectively paralyzed his administration.