January 23, 2026, 9:40 p.mJanuary 23, 2026, 9:40 p.m
An Iranian woman stares at her cell phone. (Archive image, January 19, 2026)Image: keystone
After a two-week internet ban, many Iranians are growing cautiously hopeful of a return to global networking. According to data from the IT company Cloudflare, nationwide data traffic when accessing websites has now reached around 30 percent of the usual level before the blockade.
Using so-called tunnel services (VPN), some residents of the capital Tehran were able to send WhatsApp messages again. Facebook Group apps are popular in Iran, but are generally blocked. However, Iranians who were able to go online again on Friday expressed concern that it was only a temporary relaxation.
USA announces oil sanctions
The USA wants to put new sanctions under pressure on the Iranian leadership after the brutal crackdown on protesters. The focus is on nine ships and their owners and several management companies that transported Iranian oil and petroleum products worth hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the US Treasury Department. The USA assumes that this is used to finance terrorism. They want to use sanctions to prevent oil sales and weaken Iran’s leadership financially.
Iran’s judiciary: Executions have not stopped
Meanwhile, Iran’s judiciary denied statements by US President Donald Trump that the execution of 800 demonstrators had been stopped. «This claim is completely false. Neither such a number exists nor has the judiciary made such a decision,” state broadcaster quoted Attorney General Mohammed Mowahedi-Asad as saying.
Trump said a week ago that a military attack on the leadership of the Islamic Republic had not occurred because authorities had canceled the execution of 800 people. During the wave of protests against the authoritarian government, he repeatedly assured the demonstrators of his support and drew red lines for the leadership in Tehran – so far without consequences.
Trump: “Huge fleet” on the way to Iran
Concerns about war are also increasing: Trump announced on Thursday that a “huge fleet” was on its way to the waters near Iran. US media had previously reported on the relocation of the aircraft carrier “USS Abraham Lincoln” and accompanying ships. The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Mohammed Pakpur, then warned of an attack: the armed forces were ready “with their finger on the trigger”.
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “We obviously hope that all necessary steps will be taken to avoid an escalation of the conflict in Iran.” The region cannot afford to worsen the conflict.
Türk: Aggressive rhetoric is counterproductive
At an emergency meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned of a military escalation. “Aggressive rhetoric and threats are extremely counterproductive.” Holding anyone accountable for human rights violations cannot be achieved “through military force from Iran or outside,” he said.
In the evening, the council passed a resolution that, among other things, commissions the investigative commission set up in 2022 to investigate the recent outbreaks of violence. 25 of the 47 member countries voted in favor, 7 against, including China, Cuba and India. These countries always insist, as a matter of principle, that the Council must not interfere in the internal affairs of countries.
Iranian journalists criticize internet blocking
Iranian media also criticized the blockade. “Working as a journalist without the Internet is like swimming with your hands tied,” said Mehdi Rahmanian, editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper “Shargh”. The web portal “Digiato” reacted with derision: “Under these circumstances, we should reintroduce the carrier pigeon system immediately.”
The state officially justified the closure with security concerns. Ali Akbar Purjamshidian, chairman of a national security panel, defended the blockade on state television on Wednesday. “For the population, there is the issue of security, and there is the issue of the economy,” said the former general. “And in this situation, safety was more important to us.”
The President of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently warned of unforeseeable consequences for the economy. More than 400,000 companies’ existence is threatened, Gholamhossein Schafei told the online portal Asre-Eghtesad. If the internet shutdown continues, the livelihoods of around nine million employees will be at risk.
Activists verify at least 5,000 deaths in protests
The protests in Iran at the end of December were initially triggered by an economic crisis. However, the demonstrations quickly developed into political uprisings against the authoritarian system of rule of the Islamic Republic. The security apparatus cracked down brutally on the protests and suppressed them. The demonstrations have now completely died down.
The human rights network HRANA, based in the USA, says it has now verified 5,002 deaths, including 4,714 demonstrators, 207 state forces, 42 minors and 39 bystanders. A further 9,787 deaths are being investigated. In addition, around 26,800 people were arrested, according to the HRANA report.
State: “Terrorists” responsible for thousands of deaths
According to official government figures, 3,117 people were killed in the riots. More than 2,400 have died due to terrorist activities, claimed the Iranian ambassador in Geneva. The government blames the arch-enemies Israel and the USA for the many deaths, which are said to have carried out “numerous terrorist acts” in large parts of the country on the nights of January 8th and 9th. (sda/dpa)