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Iran Escalates Arrests and Internet Blackouts in Crackdown on ‘Enemy’ Media

Officials seek to strip perceived foreign networks of influence through mass detentions, blackouts, curbs on the press.

Overview

  • Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said it detained 39 alleged operatives in Tehran, citing links to terror groups and Israel and reporting seizures of weapons, explosives, and seven Starlink terminals.
  • State media reported 466 arrests for online activity it said threatened national security, alleging coordination with unspecified “enemy” networks during the war.
  • Press TV said security forces arrested more than 90 people it tied to the Iran International channel, which authorities classify as a terrorist group with offices in the UK and the US.
  • Officials cast the sweep as an effort to erase the channel’s influence, with sources saying operations will continue until a claimed “psychological cleansing” is achieved.
  • Network data and press unions report a near-total internet shutdown and the arrest of seven journalists, leaving most outlets closed or restricted to state-approved news and limiting independent verification.