Iran restricts the internet as government warns against opening unknown links

As the war between Iran and Israel enters its second week, the Iranian government has announced strict measures to restrict access to the global internet, amid escalating security tensions.

The government's official spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani, confirmed during a press conference that the country will switch to using the national internet network when necessary, emphasizing that the decision is made to safeguard the country and its citizens.

In a direct warning, the government advised citizens against opening unknown links, and to rely on local media platforms for news, amidst warnings of espionage risks and external interference.

In a related context, the Israeli Ministry of Defense issued a call to Iranians through the "X" platform (formerly Twitter), asking them to cooperate with the Israeli side by sharing a link to the Mossad website, considering that the current situation is causing fear and despair among many Iranians, including members of security agencies, who fear that Iran may face a fate similar to Lebanon or Gaza.

The Israeli ministry was not directly responsible for handling the requests, but referred those interested in communicating to the Mossad website, with advice to use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass surveillance.

On the ground, Iranian authorities announced the arrest of dozens of collaborators with Mossad, in addition to dismantling factories producing drones used in attacks within the country.

Official media also documented the pursuit of trucks carrying Israeli drones, and the arrest of Mossad agents inside Iran.

These developments reflect the ability of Israeli intelligence to infiltrate deep into Iranian territories and carry out complex operations, as sources revealed that Mossad has been infiltrating for months, training special teams, and introducing drone equipment through local commercial networks, in an operation resembling the attacks carried out by Hezbollah in Lebanon last summer.