Iran turns to citizenship and assets as tools of pressure beyond its borders

“They are not pragmatists; they are not reformers,” he said, referring to lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during his speech at the Haus der Bundespressekonferenz. “Neither are the IRGC killers behind the curtains.”

Pahlavi was in Berlin for meetings with German lawmakers and members of the press as part of a European trip focused on Iran’s political future.

The Iranian prince warned that continued rule by the Islamic Republic would lead to further conflict in the region as the authorities will continue to pose threats to the people, the region, and beyond as long as they remain in power.

“For 47 years, the world has known Iran through the actions of a regime that took a great nation hostage,” Pahlavi said. “No deal will solve this. No negotiations will solve this. It is in their DNA.”

‘Choosing free Iran over a dying regime’

Pahlavi further addressed Europe, saying it faces a choice between the current Iranian system and a free Iran that could become a partner for stability.

“The choice before Europe is not between war and peace. It is between a dying regime that endangers us all and a free Iran that can become a partner for stability,” he said.

The Iranian prince urged European authorities to seek “a new course” in dealing with Tehran, or keep facing “constant blackmail” from the Islamic Republic.

“European governments must stop appeasing this regime. Expel regime ambassadors, refuse to legitimize any arrangements that preserve the IRGC-centered power structure and prepare to recognize the transitional government when it is announced,” he said, addressing European powers.

‘Iranians don’t want to see regime legitimized’

Pahlavi referred to nationwide protests in Iran, saying the Iranian people demand world countries refrain from strengthening or legitimizing a government that terrorizes the nation.

“The Iranian people are not asking us to fight their revolution. They are already doing that, and with a courage that should humble all of us,” he said. “They are asking something far more modest: do not legitimize those who oppress them. Do not strengthen those who terrorize them.”

He said it was time for the world to “catch up with their courage,” noting that the international community’s contribution to their struggle could help bring about an end to the government's violence.

“If you stand with us, if you act in honor of those 40,000 innocent protesters, you will save lives, you will stop the flow of blood,” he said.

Pahlavi also touched upon the Iran war, saying the destruction of governmental infrastructure employed in suppressing dissent, could potentially facilitate protests aimed at subverting the government.

“The air cover campaign that included hitting the regime infrastructure and apparatus of repression was a necessary step to equalize the playing field for the Iranians who were getting massacred on the streets defenseless, by a regime that used military weapons to hit them on the streets,” Pahlavi said.

He argued that a democratic transition in Iran could reduce regional tensions and open the way for broader economic cooperation.

“A free Iran would be a stabilizing anchor for the entire Middle East, ending the proxy wars that have ravaged Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, and becoming a partner for regional economic integration,” Pahlavi said.

Tens of millions of Iranians have been cut off from the rest of the globe since US-Israeli strikes began on Feb. 28. It has been described as the world’s longest state-imposed internet blackout to date.

Under the new plan, approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, selected businesses and institutions would regain global internet access while much of the public remains restricted.

The rollout would begin with commercial card holders and later expand to sectors tied to production, industry and trade, according to officials, who present the measure as economic management.

Critics see something larger: the formalization of a two-tier digital system. Those fears have intensified after leaked material circulated in recent days suggested authorities were considering more permanent restrictions.

Iran International has not independently verified the documents.

‘War as excuse’

Neda Bolourchi, executive director of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, said the announcement appears less like an emergency wartime measure than the rollout of a long-prepared policy.

“What we can understand is that this has been a multi-year project,” she told Iran International. “That the war has given it the excuse to roll it out.”

She added that she does not expect a quick return even to the limited internet environment that existed before the latest shutdowns.

But Amin Sabeti, the London-based founder of CERTFA, a cybersecurity lab focused on cyberattacks linked to Iran, questioned whether Tehran could maintain such a model for long.

“They are trying to implement it, but the big question mark for me is how long they can carry on,” he told Iran International. “I don’t think they can continue the next six months as it is.”

Sabeti argued that wartime conditions may allow governments to impose extraordinary restrictions, but Iran is not North Korea and cannot easily be transformed into one.”

‘The Gen Z problem’

The economic consequences are already mounting.

For millions of Iranians, Instagram, Telegram and WhatsApp are not luxuries. They are storefronts, classrooms, advertising platforms and lifelines to clients abroad.

Bolourchi warned that while the model may be sustainable for the state, it could be punishing for ordinary households, many of whom make their living online.

Sabeti noted that this would carry political risks for the ruling elite.

“If you offer it to the Iranian people—internet, Instagram, XYZ—and suddenly you want to take it away, that’s the level of the anger. We will see huge protests,” Sabeti said.

Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute who focuses on Iranian society, Gen Z and social media, said the blackout cannot be separated from the Islamic Republic’s broader information war.

“The reason they are basically not allowing Iranians access to the outside world is because the internet and social media is the only way for their voices to be heard,” Dagres said.

She also stressed that the economic damage has been particularly severe for entrepreneurs, women-led businesses and rural sellers who depend on social media income streams.

Tightening control

The system may also deepen surveillance.

Even if Iran does not become a replica of North Korea, a permission-based internet would still mean more monitoring and greater pressure on citizens to censor themselves.

Dagres argued that the government may be trying to normalize the blackout through small concessions while preserving overall control.

Direct-to-cell technology, which could one day allow ordinary smartphones to connect directly to satellites without dishes or ground terminals, is still not meaningfully available in Iran and remains more promise than practical solution.

For Tehran, “Internet Pro” may solve one immediate problem: how to keep strategic sectors online while limiting the wider public. In doing so, it may create another.

Iran is a country where tens of millions have built livelihoods, relationships and daily routines online. Restricting that access while rewarding approved groups may tighten control today, but deepen resentment tomorrow.

In a statement, the Guards said the vessels, identified as MSC Francesca and Epaminodes, had violated maritime regulations and endangered navigation by manipulating their tracking systems.

It said the ships were detained and escorted to Iran’s coast, adding that disruption to security in the Strait of Hormuz was a “red line,” referring to the US blockade of Iranian ports.

Vessels under fire

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said earlier on Wednesday that two cargo vessels were fired upon in separate incidents in the strait.

It said a container ship northeast of Oman reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat, which opened fire without radio contact, causing heavy damage to the vessel’s bridge. All crew were safe and no fire or environmental impact was reported.

In a separate incident west of Iran, an outbound cargo ship reported being fired upon and had stopped in the water. Its crew were safe and there was no reported damage, UKMTO said.

The IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency said three vessels — Euphoria, MSC Francesca and Epaminodes — were targeted.

Trump said on Tuesday he would extend a fragile ceasefire with Iran indefinitely, even as plans for new talks stalled.

The incidents come amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route that previously handled about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows.

It said Farid headed a non-military defense management committee at one of the country’s sensitive organizations, without naming it, and had shared information including organizational structures, security arrangements and infrastructure.

Rights groups had earlier said Farid was arrested in 2023 and had been working at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. They said he was first held in Tehran’s Greater Tehran prison before being transferred to Evin prison.

Iran Human Rights had reported last year that he was “initially sentenced to 10 years in prison” and, after a retrial, “sentenced to death on charges of spying for Israel.”

The judiciary said Farid had connected internal servers to infected files on instructions from a Mossad officer and enabled outside access to systems using USB devices.

It added that Farid confessed during the case process to transferring information and had been promised payment and help to leave the country.

Rights groups have raised concerns about the use of forced confessions and due process in Iran.

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  Iran family says executed nuclear scientist confessed after threats to mother

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  Iran executes nuclear engineer accused of spying for Israel - rights group

Atomic-linked executions

Iran has carried out several executions in recent months in cases tied to its nuclear sector and alleged links to Israel.

In October, rights group Hengaw said Iran executed Javad Naeimi, described as a nuclear engineer working at the Natanz facility, after convicting him of spying for Israel.

The group said he was hanged in Qom Central Prison and that the execution was carried out in secrecy. Iranian state media reported the execution of a man on espionage charges at the time but did not identify him.

Hengaw said Naeimi had been arrested in February 2024 and sentenced to death after what it described as an opaque judicial process, adding that he was subjected to torture and coerced confessions during interrogation.

In August, Iran executed nuclear scientist Rouzbeh Vadi on similar charges. The judiciary said he had been recruited by Mossad and transferred classified information.

A relative told Iran International that Vadi confessed only after severe torture and threats against his mother, and said the case relied on a televised confession. Rights groups have long raised concerns about the use of forced confessions in such cases.

Following heightened tensions with Israel and the US, Iranian authorities have stepped up arrests, trials and executions in espionage cases, drawing criticism from rights groups and UN experts over due process.

Amir-Mohammad Shahkarami, an eighth-grade student, vanished as security forces suppressed demonstrations in Shahre Qods, located west of Tehran. For two months, his family faced a series of conflicting reports from Iranian authorities regarding his safety.

On January 10, two days after he went missing, the boy's mobile phone was turned on. Government agents used the device to contact the family and tell them he was alive. Officials at the local judiciary later supported this account, telling the parents that the teenager was in custody and that a court had already issued a sentence against him.

The family also tried to find information through the Department of Education, but officials there labeled his file as "confidential" and refused to speak.

A 'finish-off' shot

After 60 days of silence, forensic officials finally called the family to identify a body. The body of the 14-year-old was delivered to the family.

When the family examined the body, they found a gunshot wound to the temple, a type of injury often described by rights groups as a "finish-off" shot. Large bruises also covered his chest and side.

Patterns of deception

The teenager’s death highlights the uncertainty facing many families of young detainees who disappeared during the January protests. Despite the assurances given to his parents in the weeks following his disappearance, the physical evidence on his body pointed to a violent death.

Rights groups have documented cases where Iranian authorities provide families with false information about the health or legal status of detained relatives to delay public reporting or to manage the fallout of deaths in custody.

The Iranian government has not explained why various state agencies told the family the boy was alive and sentenced while he was either already dead or facing terminal abuse in custody.