Military

Iran’s prolonged internet disruptions are shutting off a rare opening for young entrepreneurs to build low-cost businesses using artificial intelligence tools, according to a report by Shargh newspaper that warned the restrictions are crippling a generation of digital workers.

Reports of a possible agreement between Washington and the Islamic Republic have triggered anger and frustration among Iranians, with messages sent to Iran International reflecting deep distrust toward both foreign powers and Iran’s ruling establishment.

Iran executed political prisoner Mojtaba Kian on Sunday after convicting him on accusations tied to cooperation with Israel and the United States, bringing the number of people put to death on political and security-related charges since March 17 to at least 37.

Iran’s digital hardware market has yet to recover from wartime disruption, with shortages, volatile prices and rising import costs pushing laptops, mobile phones and computer parts further beyond the reach of many consumers, an economic website reported on Saturday.

The Trump administration’s most powerful pressure point against Tehran may not lie in military action but in China’s deep financial and energy ties with Iran, a former US Treasury sanctions official told the Eye for Iran podcast.

Iran’s ruling establishment has increasingly turned to threats and combative rhetoric as it faces mounting economic problems at home and growing diplomatic strain abroad, expanding a wartime language into everyday governance.

Millions of Iranian students saw remote schooling disrupted by internet outages and failures on the state-run online education platform during more than two months of school closures, renewing criticism of Iran’s virtual education system.

British prosecutors said on Monday that a team of Romanian men who carried out a 2024 knife attack on Iran International TV presenter Pouria Zeraati in London were acting as proxies for Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that Iranians should expect inflation, shortages and economic hardship because the country is at war and facing mounting pressure on its energy infrastructure and oil exports.

Iran sought to rally BRICS countries against US and Israeli military action on Thursday, casting the regional conflict as resistance to American power as concerns over maritime security and energy disruption dominated the bloc’s foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi.

IRGC-linked media called for Iran to generate revenue from undersea internet cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz, framing the waterway not only as an energy and shipping chokepoint but also as a digital pressure point.

Iran International won four top prizes at the 2026 WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Middle East, with projects recognized for innovation, audience engagement, data visualization and participatory storytelling under repression.

Iranian newspapers reacted to the latest escalation in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on the United Arab Emirates with a tone of pride and vindication, presenting the crisis as proof that Tehran can set the rules in the Persian Gulf.

Iranians need access to weapons to challenge their rulers, President Donald Trump said on Monday, arguing that protesters would fight effectively if armed but are currently outmatched by government forces.

Iranians described layoffs, unpaid wages and rising food and medical costs in messages to Iran International, while labor market data and local media reports pointed to a widening employment shock after the ceasefire.

India and Pakistan condemned on Tuesday Iran’s attacks on the United Arab Emirates, calling for restraint and a return to diplomacy.

US intelligence agencies assess that recent military action has caused only limited additional damage to Iran’s nuclear program, Reuters reported Monday, leaving Tehran’s potential timeline to produce a weapon largely unchanged.

US President Donald Trump could pursue major military action against Iran if talks do not soon produce the outlines of an achievable deal, Axios reported on Monday, citing a senior US official.