Iran Judiciary Suspends Panel That Ordered Internet Reopening

Iran's judiciary has suspended the work of the cyberspace regulation council that decided to gradually restore internet service across the country, halting a key body created to manage communications during the current crisis. The move affects a panel established by President Masoud Pezeshkian on 12 May to oversee the communications and internet file. The council announced on Monday that it had decided to reopen the internet in Iran in stages. That decision came after reports, confirmed by government spokeswoman Fatemeh Muhacerani, that the president had issued a direct order on the matter. The suspension places the future of the internet reopening process in doubt at a sensitive moment for the government. The council had been tasked with handling the communications portfolio while the crisis continues. No further details were given on the judiciary's decision or on whether the staged reopening plan will proceed as announced.