Iranian authorities say they have arrested 466 people over alleged online activities they claim were aimed at destabilising the country.
According to the state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency, the arrests were carried out by police, who accused the suspects of spreading propaganda, creating fear, and trying to influence public opinion in favour of what they described as “enemy forces.”
However, officials did not give details about the exact nature of the online activities or when the arrests took place.
The crackdown comes at a tense time, as Iran continues to deal with the fallout from its conflict with the United States and Israel.
The situation has been further complicated by a near-total internet shutdown imposed after the February 28 strikes.
Monitoring group NetBlocks reported that the blackout has now lasted over three weeks, severely limiting access to the global internet across the country.
At the moment, only a small group of authorised users can go online internationally. Others trying to bypass restrictions using tools like VPNs or satellite services risk facing prison sentences.
Despite the restrictions, people in Iran are still able to use the country’s internal network for basic communication and local online services.
