Iran's President Orders Internet Restoration After War-Related Shutdown

A decree aimed at restoring internet access to pre-January conditions has been communicated to the Ministry of Communications by the president,” according to Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Fars, as reported by AFP on Tuesday, 26 May 2026. Authorities had previously shut down the internet during large-scale anti-government protests that peaked in early January 2026. The internet was then suspended again on 28 February 2026, coinciding with the start of the Middle East conflict. Since then, residents have had access only to domestic platforms and websites. Decisions Require Supreme Leader’s Approval Previously, Masoud Pezeshkian stressed that his government does not make decisions without the approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei. This was stated by Pezeshkian, as reported by Press TV on Monday, 25 May, when Iran and the United States, engaged in indirect negotiations mediated by Pakistan, were reportedly close to finalising a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war. “There are no decisions made in the Islamic Republic of Iran outside the framework of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and without coordination and approval from the Supreme Leader,” Pezeshkian stated during a meeting with the heads and managers of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). “When a decision is made in the realm of diplomacy, all institutions, platforms, and movements must support it to present a single, coherent voice to the world from the Islamic Republic,” he added.