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Iran flips ‘kill switch’ to hide alleged crimes as death toll rises amid protests
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The Iranian regime triggered an internet «kill switch» in an apparent effort to hide alleged abuses by security forces and as protests against it surged nationwide, a cybersecurity expert has claimed.
The blackout slashed internet access to a fraction of normal levels on the 13th day of the protests as rights groups, including Amensty International, accused the regime of using lethal force against protesters.
«This is Iran’s war against its own population using digital means,» NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker told Fox News Digital.
«This was a piecemeal measure that eventually encompassed the entire country, with the government willing to use this kind of measure for an extended period of time,» he said.
«There would be an attempt by the regime to cover up crimes that it may have committed, so this blackout could potentially last for days or weeks,» Toker added.
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Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on Friday. (Social Media/via Reuters)
At least 65 people have been killed in the protests, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, which said late Friday that the death toll had more than doubled since earlier in the week.
The group also reported that more than 2,300 people have been arrested and that demonstrations have spread to at least 180 cities nationwide. Most of those killed were protesters, the group said.
«People in Iran daring to express their anger at decades of repression and demand fundamental change are once again being met with a deadly pattern of security forces unlawfully firing at, chasing, arresting and beating protesters,» Amnesty International also said in a statement Thursday.
«The single kill switch is the censorship mechanism that is centrally controlled by the regime, so there are no legal procedures or mechanisms for people to push back,» Toker said.
«We know now that they’ve centralized all of this into a one-step operation,» he explained, calling it «very much a top-down mechanism.»
«It’s been in development since the Cold War, and it means they are able to triangulate the ground terminal in satellite transmissions. Some governments implement this kind of kill switch in their cyber operations rooms,» he said.
ARMED IRAN PROTESTERS BATTLE POLICE IN TEHRAN STREETS AS TRUMP WARNS OF FORCEFUL US RESPONSE
«We know that in 2019, for example, it used to be a painstaking measure when the government had to switch off businesses one by one, city by city.»
NetBlocks said the current blackout is among the most severe it has ever recorded in Iran.
«We are tracking near-total disconnection of internet service across Iran right now, and connectivity is below 2% of ordinary levels,» Toker said.
«This is a nationwide disruption that is impacting almost all services, all connectivity and all avenues of life, extending beyond just mobile phones and computers,» he said.
«It’s impacting banks, essential services, and there’s very little communication within the country, so people are unable to reach the outside world and nobody has the ability to communicate.»
EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE URGES TRUMP TO HELP AS PROTESTS AGAINST ISLAMIC REGIME INTENSIFY: ‘MAN OF PEACE’
Despite the sweeping restrictions, some limited communication channels remain available, Toker revealed.
«There are a few gaps, so it’s possible to communicate with those close to the borders through Wi-Fi or mobile service that crosses borders,» he said.
«It’s also occasionally possible to find a part in the service, in a fixed-line service, where they can tunnel through all those, but that is increasingly rare and no longer an option.
«Another mechanism we’ve seen is access via satellite internet, namely the Starlink network, but the equipment is banned by the Iranian regime.»
«The technology that the Iranian regime uses to trace links is essentially anti-espionage technology,» he said.
«These measures are typically imposed by the most authoritarian regimes, the most controlling governments that seek to silence and oppress their own populations,» Toker said.
«NetBlocks tracked very similar multi-week disruption in 2019, during which thousands were killed, and this was also done in 2022 when people were protesting the killing of Mahsa Amini.»
IRANIAN MILITARY LEADER THREATENS PREEMPTIVE ATTACK AFTER TRUMP COMMENTS
Iranian demonstrations have intensified in recent days with the sounds of gunfire in the streets. (National Council of Resistance of Iran)
«In past incidents, we did observe that the government attempted to keep a baseline of service available.
«In this recent case, they pulled the plug, so there’s a far more extreme measure in place here, which suggests that the regime is scared and isn’t taking risks when it comes to the possibility of information reaching the outside world.»
President Donald Trump warned Iran’s leaders Friday against using force on protesters.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, he warned Iran was in «big trouble.»
«I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe, because that’s a very dangerous place right now,» Trump said. «You’d better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting, too.»
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«The U.S. has encouraged democracy in Iran, and that’s a positive thing at this point,» Toker said.
«There’s very little that can be done from the outside, but it’s important to continue to support positive efforts.
«A free and open internet in Iran, and indeed in other countries, can encourage democracy and support basic liberties,» he added.
iran,world protests,donald trump,cybercrime,privacy,persecutions,personal freedoms
INTERNACIONAL
Russia sentences American to 4 years for allegedly trying to take Kalashnikov rifle stocks: report
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An American was sentenced Tuesday to four years in jail in Russia for allegedly trying to fly out of an airport in Moscow with the stocks of Kalashnikov assault rifles in his suitcase, a report said.
The unnamed U.S. citizen, who collects Kalashnikov weapons, did not make a customs declaration after purchasing two stocks and checking a suitcase containing the items at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, Reuters reported, citing the RIA Novosti state news agency.
He later was found guilty under an article of Russian criminal code relating to the smuggling of weapons, it added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for comment.
RUSSIA UPS JAIL SENTENCE OF US CITIZEN TO 10 YEARS FOR BEATING PRISON STAFF
AK-47 rifles are seen during a training session at a shooting range outside of Kyiv, Ukraine, on the left, in July 2023. On the right are passenger jets at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport. An American reportedly was jailed after trying to transport Kalashnikov rifle stocks in a suitcase at the airport. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images; Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Russian state media is also claiming the American partially admitted guilt, according to Reuters.
The State Department warns Americans not to travel to Russia «for any reason due to terrorism, unrest, wrongful detention and other risks.»
CHINA PLEDGES AID TO UKRAINE AS US OFFICIALS WARN BEIJING IS QUIETLY FUELING RUSSIA’S WAR
A Kalashnikov of a Ukrainian soldier participating in shooting training is seen in Donetsk region of Ukraine on July 31, 2024. (Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has limited ability to assist in the case of a detention of a U.S. citizen. There is no guarantee that the Russian government will grant the U.S. Embassy consular access to detained U.S. citizens,» the State Department said. «U.S. citizens may serve their entire prison sentence without release. The risk of wrongful detention of U.S. citizens remains high. Even if a case is determined wrongful, there is no guarantee of release.»
A terminal at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, in August 2023. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
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«Russian officials often question and threaten U.S. citizens without reason. Russian security services have arrested U.S. citizens on false charges,» it added. They have denied them fair treatment and convicted them without credible evidence. Russian authorities have opened questionable investigations against U.S. citizens for their religious activities.»
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El presidente iraní, Masoud Pezeshkian, afirmó que su país está dispuesto a que haya una verificación de que no busca dotarse de armas atómicas, coincidiendo con el ciclo de negociaciones con Estados Unidos sobre el programa nuclear.
«No estamos buscando en absoluto tener armas nucleares», declaró Pezeshkian en una entrevista publicada este martes. «Si alguien quiere verificarlo, estamos dispuestos a que se lleve a cabo dicha verificación».
Irán y Estados Unidos mantuvieron este martes unas breves negociaciones, en las que no hablaron directamente, sino que se intercambiaron mensajes a través de Omán, en su papel de mediador, y tras las cuales la vía diplomática se mantiene abierta en la búsqueda de un acuerdo sobre el programa nuclear iraní.
Al término del encuentro, el ministro de Exteriores de Irán, Abás Araqchí, declaró que se había logrado «un buen progreso respecto a la sesión anterior» (hace veinte días), que en esta ocasión el ambiente fue «más constructivo e incluso se refirió a avances sobre «una serie de principios rectores», según los cuales se redactará un posible borrador de acuerdo.
«Tenemos una decisión más clara sobre qué acciones deben tomarse», declaró, sin ofrecer detalles de lo conversado.
Más optimismo aún mostró el ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Omán, Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, que hizo de mediador y quien habló de «buenos avances» en la identificación de «objetivos comunes» y de «cuestiones técnicas relevantes».
A través de una declaración por redes sociales, el ministro omaní también se refirió a los esfuerzos que se hicieron para definir los principios a los que se refirió su homólogo iraní, aclarando siempre que queda mucho camino por andar y que habrá otra reunión próximamente.
La figura del director general del Organismo Internacional de la Energía Atómica (OIEA), Rafael Grossi, tomó relevancia en esta segunda ronda de las negociaciones, que se reanudaron tras los ataques de Estados Unidos contra tres instalaciones nucleares iraníes el pasado junio, en una operación conjunta con Israel.
Grossi, quien es candidato a ser secretario general de la ONU, se reunió el lunes con Araqchí, y hoy mismo lo hizo con la delegación estadounidense, que han liderado el enviado especial de la Casa Blanca, Steve Witkoff; y Jared Kushner, yerno del presidente Donald Trump.
En una comparecencia horas después en la Conferencia de Desarme de la ONU, reunida en la sede europea de la organización en Ginebra, Araqchí ofreció algunas claves de lo abordado con Grossi cuando, tras denunciar los ataques estadounidenses de mediados de 2025, dijo que en la actualidad «no existen modalidades» que hagan posible la inspección de las instalaciones afectadas por parte de la OIEA.
«Esas instalaciones requieren un marco acordado mutuamente entre Irán y la agencia. Esto es algo en lo que estamos trabajando», reveló el ministro en ese momento y mostró la disposición de Irán a responder a algunas de las exigencias de Estados Unidos.
Aunque no se sabe con certeza en qué condiciones se encuentran esas plantas, informes de organismos internacionales apuntan a que sufrieron daños significativos.
Sin embargo, durante la jornada también hubo mensajes duros -implícitos y explícitos- de Irán con respecto a Estados Unidos, a su forma de negociar y a sus exigencias, al tiempo que le recomendó actuar con prudencia en relación a sus amenazas de atacar militarmente si el régimen iraní no se pliega a sus exigencias.
A este respecto, Araqchí dijo en la ONU que en caso de que EE.UU. le agreda, su respuesta «no se limitará a sus fronteras», mientras que desde Teherán se anunciaba el cierre durante varias horas para maniobras navales de partes del estrecho de Ormuz, una vía marítima muy importante geopolítica y comercialmente.
Trump ha manifestado su interés por resolver la cuestión nuclear iraní -tras señalar que estaría involucrado a distancia en las negociaciones de hoy-, en particular después de la violenta represión armada de las manifestaciones multitudinarias que tuvieron lugar en las primeras semanas de este año en Irán y en las que murieron miles de personas.
Estados Unidos junto con los otros cuatro países del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU, más Alemania, alcanzó en 2015 un acuerdo sobre el programa nuclear iraní, el cual establecía medidas para garantizar que se adecuara únicamente a fines civiles a cambio del alivio de sanciones, pero Trump retiró a su país del mismo en 2018, durante su primer mandato.
INTERNACIONAL
Obama dragged for ‘headache’-inducing presidential center update that has visitors squinting
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Former President Barack Obama’s presidential center in Chicago is again coming under scrutiny for its architectural design — this time leaving locals scratching their heads over confusing text wrapped around the top of the building.
«I’m outside the Obama Center museum tower right now,» Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bay posted to X Monday, sparking a deluge of mockery from locals and conservatives.
«The new letters — an excerpt from Obama’s Selma speech — are tough read to me, giving off the lorem ipsum vibes,» he added, referring to placeholder «dummy» text frequently used in graphic design templates to fill space with scrambled Latin.
Obama’s presidential center — which includes a library, athletic facilities, a museum and more — is slated to open in June after years of delays that included lawsuits and federal reviews of opening the 20-acre campus on Chicago’s South Side.
OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER SLAMMED FOR PROMOTING ‘FAR-LEFT’ AGENDA ON PUBLIC LAND
The text of former President Obama’s speech marking the 50th anniversary of «Bloody Sunday» in Selma, Alabama, is wrapped around the side of the upcoming presidential center in Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The construction includes a 225-foot museum tower with the text of Obama’s 2015 speech in Selma, Alabama, marking the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when civil rights demonstrators were met with violent resistance from local law enforcement in a watershed moment that helped galvanize support for the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER JOB LISTINGS PUSH ‘ANTI-RACISM’ PLEDGE AHEAD OF OPENING
The text of Obama’s speech, inscribed on the upper echelon of the tower, reads: «You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention. Unencumbered by what is, ready to seize what ought to be. For everywhere in this country, there are first steps to be taken, there is new ground to cover, there are more bridges to be crossed. America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We The People.’ ‘We Shall Overcome.’ ‘Yes We Can.’ That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.»
Critics of the building had a field day on X in response to the building update, including one user comparing it to a «Klingon prison» in a nod to «Star Trek,» while others lampooned the alleged inability to read the text of the building.
«What don’t you understand about,» Targeted Victory vice president Logan Dobson posted. «YOU ARE AMERICA ED BY HABILAND UNENCUMBERED ADY TO SEIZE WE,» he continued, mocking the confusing lay out of the text.
OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER BREAKS SILENCE OVER CONTROVERSIAL BUILDING DESIGN
Former President Barack Obama’s presidential center in Chicago is facing mounting scrutiny over a speech inscription on the building that has left viewers confused. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
«The dyslexic in me is not amused,» journalist and columnist Salena Zito posted.
«He put his own speech on the outside of his library?» one user posted. «Find yourself someone who loves you like Obama loves himself.»
«I gave up after developing a headache three lines from the top,» one user posted.
PROTESTERS RAGED, CRITICS MOCKED — NOW OBAMA SAYS HIS LIBRARY’S ACTUALLY OPENING
«It looks like a WW2-era German anti-aircraft tower,» another posted.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama gives her remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Sept. 28, 2021. (Sebastian Hidalgo/Reuters)
«I noticed when I was in the air that the sentences wrap around the west and south sides of the building, and looks decent in a very specific spot on the ground or very good from the air…but like that’s not an ideal design in my opinion,» a Chicago photojournalist posted to X.
Other users didn’t take issue with the campus itself, but remarked how the construction is gentrifying the South Side.
«It actually does look good,» one user posted. «Love or hate the guy, at least the presidential library will have a nice park for people to walk through. I get the whole blue vs red thing. But right now the main problem seems to be the gentrification and house price increases in the neighbourhood.»
The main tower of the Obama Presidential Center rises above Jackson Park in Chicago as construction continues on the privately run campus. (Fox 32 Chicago)
The text inscription was preparing for installation at the end of 2025, according to the Obama Foundation’s website.
«At the Museum Building, crews are preparing support structures ahead of the installation of screen text taken from President Obama’s speech «You Are America,» which marked the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches,» the Obama Foundation said in its year-end recap on construction for 2025.
The Obama Foundation has celebrated the center repeatedly since it was first announced more than a decade ago, describing it ahead of its opening as «a lively community hub, economic anchor, and beacon of democracy right here on the South Side of Chicago.»
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The campus has come under scrutiny from locals over gentrification concerns and over its Brutalist-style of architecture, a post-war-era style popularized in the 1950s known for its modular and minimalist designs. For locals in Chicago, they’ve dubbed the building the «The Obamalisk,» according to the New York Post, in a jab at the Brutalist-inspired design.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Obama Foundation for additional comment Tuesday morning.
barack obama,michelle obama,white house,chicago
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