Iranian guards go door to door to seize satellite dishes | World | News
As Iranian authorities step up efforts to silence unrest across the country, security forces have reportedly gone door-to-door in Tehran to seize satellite dishes and surveillance footage.
Local sources say officers have seized satellite equipment and collected CCTV footage from private homes in an attempt to identify protesters and disrupt the flow of information both within Iran and to the outside world.
Residents told Iran International that agents affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) posed as water and electricity officials to enter properties before seizing satellite devices.
This crackdown follows a widespread nationwide telecommunications blackout that began on January 8. Severe outages in mobile phone networks have left many Iranians dependent on satellite-based devices as their only means of communication.
Meanwhile, the internet blackout in Iran has now exceeded 100 hours, further isolating the population as authorities move to suppress reports of unrest spreading across the country.
Internet monitoring initiative NetBlocks said the digital outage had reached 100 hours as of Monday evening local time. The national communications blackout has led to increased fear and public concern for Iranians both inside and outside the Middle Eastern country.
The nationwide power outage sparked criticism from Human Rights Watch Executive Director Philippe Bolopion. Bolopion accused Iran of imposing the blackout to hide “alarming reports of large-scale killings of protesters by security forces.”
“We are also extremely concerned about those accused of being enemies of God who were detained last week and sentenced by the authorities to death in Iran,” Bolopion wrote on X.
“We think this is a truly urgent situation and we call on the UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council to urgently discuss the situation and send a very strong message to the leadership in Iran that they will be held accountable,” he added.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the ongoing violence in Iran and added that she had discussed the issue with her Iranian counterpart.
“The killing and brutal suppression of peaceful protesters in Iran is appalling,” he told Iran’s Foreign Minister. “I spoke to Foreign Secretary Araghchi and told him directly: the Iranian government must immediately end the violence, support fundamental rights and freedoms and ensure British citizens are safe.”
U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran advised all U.S. citizens on Monday to leave the country immediately as violent protests continue to escalate.
“US citizens are strongly advised to leave the country immediately using their own regulations, without relying on assistance from the US government,” the online post said.
“Land borders are open to Armenia in Agarak/Norduz, and to Türkiye in Gürbulak/Bazargan, Kapıköy/Razi and Esendere/Serow. Turkmenistan’s borders are open, but require special permission in advance. Entry to Azerbaijan is restricted, and travel to Türkiye is limited. Afghanistan, Iraq or the Pakistan-Iran border should be avoided altogether,” he added.
US president Donald TrumpMeanwhile, senior officials were briefed on the issue and it became clear that possible actions would include military strikes, cyber operations and psychological measures to support protesters.
“Officials said cyber and psychological operations could be conducted simultaneously with conventional military force, what military planners call integrated operations. They could also be deployed as standalone options,” CBS reported. “Two American officials said no final decision has been made and diplomatic channels remain open.”
