In recent days, officials of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Education have said that the internet may be cut again and schools closed if the war resumes. According to Kayhan London, the statements come as signs grow that military conflict between the Islamic Republic and the United States may return.
Vahid Yazdanian, deputy minister of communications for national information network development, said on Saturday, 10 October, that the internet could be cut in the event of "a new war or unrest", but that it is still unclear at what level restrictions would be imposed. According to Iran International, he added that the president's role in these decisions would likely become more prominent.
Contradiction in the Ministry of Communications' statements
The remarks clearly contradict an earlier claim by Mohammad Hatamizadeh, the ministry's deputy for legal affairs, who said the country had reached a "maturity" at which it could manage even severe crises without cutting the internet, and that Iranians would no longer see internet shutdowns.
According to Kayhan London, Mohammad Hafez Hokmi, the ministry's deputy for technology and international affairs, described the spread of Starlink in Iran as the end of the government's control over cyberspace, and said that because Starlink no longer depends on the domestic network, the authorities may be forced to cut the electricity in the next crisis. The remarks show that state bodies are considering even blackouts to block citizens' access to free information.
After the uprising of January and the start of the war in March 2026, the Islamic Republic cut citizens' internet access for a long period, and afterwards continued to impose wide-ranging restrictions on speed and on access to websites and social networks.
School closures if the war resumes
According to Kayhan London, Ali Kazemi, the Islamic Republic's education minister, confirmed on Saturday, 10 October, that schools may be closed if the war resumes. He said priority goes to in-person teaching in safe areas, with blended learning in areas under threat; the final decision rests with provincial governors and provincial security councils and will be announced in the coming days.
In Hormozgan province, the province closest to the Strait of Hormuz, schools in Bandar Abbas have held classes in person three days a week and online two days a week since Sunday, 11 October, and blended learning has also been introduced in Qeshm, Sirik and Jask. The unanswered question is how online teaching can continue if the internet is cut.
Signs of renewed conflict
These decisions come as Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of parliament's National Security Committee, said the possibility of a resumption of hostilities cannot be ignored. Earlier, the IRGC had tested dozens of missiles and Mohsen Rezaei threatened the region's data centres. Mohsen Rezaei also called America's response to the Islamic Republic's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz insufficient.
For a possible war, the Islamic Republic is preparing citizens above all for an internet shutdown, school closures and even blackouts.
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