GENEVA, January 26. /TASS/. The Iranian government will completely lift restrictions on internet access in the country in the coming days, Ali Bahraini, Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, said.
According to him, Tehran is not interested in a long-term internet shutdown, as it disrupts the normal functioning of the economy. The diplomat noted that many parts of the internet are already accessible to the public again and estimated that full access could be restored within a few days. He added that by shutting down the internet, the authorities had achieved their main goal of stopping violence carried out by terrorists who were exploiting peaceful protests for their own purposes.
Unrest in Iran began on December 29 after street protests triggered by a sharp fall in the Iranian rial exchange rate, and spread to most major cities. Authorities reported the deaths of 40 law enforcement officers. According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, armed terrorists appeared among the demonstrators on January 8. Iranian authorities blamed Israel and the United States for organizing the unrest. On January 23, Araghchi said that the death toll from the riots had reached 3,117, with both civilians and security officers among the victims. US President Donald Trump earlier warned that he was seriously considering using force against Tehran.