If You're Listening – "Why Iran is building their own internet"

Host: Matt Bevan (ABC Australia)
Guest: Amin Naini, PhD candidate, Deakin University
Date: March 23, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delves into Iran’s ongoing efforts to control and isolate its national internet infrastructure, especially amidst renewed political unrest and state-imposed internet blackouts. Host Matt Bevan interviews Amin Naini, an Iranian researcher who offers firsthand insight into life during shutdowns, the regime’s digital control strategies, and the broader implications for information and security in Iran.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Current Situation: Internet Blackouts in Iran

• Frequent shutdowns: Iran has recently shut down public internet access, making it difficult for both outsiders and Iranians to know what's happening on the ground.

• Government perspective: Iranian officials claim this is necessary for "security reasons," citing national security, foreign aggression, and the need to protect the people ([01:37]).

  "Internet is closed because of security reasons, because we are under attack. We are under aggression, and we have to do everything to protect our people."
  — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi ([01:37])

2. The Evolution of Internet Access in Iran

• Earlier days: In the early 2000s, internet access in Iran, particularly in major cities, was relatively open and free.

• Shift to control: After the 2009 protests, the government realized the organizational power of the internet and began investing heavily in infrastructure for digital control ([02:46]-[03:16]).

  "People in major cities such as Tehran used Facebook and Twitter to organize their protests, to promote their own narratives. They warned the government by their activities in cyberspace that there is a new public sphere."
  — Amin Naini ([04:30])

3. The 2009 Turning Point and Supreme Council of Cyberspace

• 2009 Green Movement: Protests over disputed election results fueled mass unrest, organized in part via social media.

• Government's response: The rapid suppression of protests was coupled by a crackdown on the internet—blocking Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and forming the Supreme Council of Cyberspace in 2012.

  "For example, just three years later, in 2012, former supreme leader Ali Khamenei ordered the creation of Supreme Council of Cyberspace, basically creating government agendas for digital control."
  — Amin Naini ([05:46])

• Objective: To build a National Information Network—a local internet infrastructure, isolated from the global network and tightly monitored.

  "The main objective has been developing a national Internet, which is known in Iran as a national information network. This system is designed to separate Iran's Internet [from] the global network so people can have access to local platforms, but no international access."
  — Amin Naini ([06:54])

4. How Iran’s National Internet Works

• Selective connectivity: The national internet allows access to government-approved platforms and services (e.g., banking), even during blackouts.

• Global vs. local: External services like Google are blocked. During a blackout, only internal services run; international communication collapses.

  "In Iran we have two types of Internet now… people have access to that national Internet… [but] they cannot connect to people outside of the country and they know that their activities are monitored."
  — Amin Naini ([08:30])

5. Influence and Collaboration from China and Russia

• Borrowed blueprints: Iran models its digital control on China’s Great Firewall and Russia’s isolated systems.

• Official collaborations: Long-term Iran–China agreements reportedly include support for Iran's internet project.

  "China is a superpower in digital control. They definitely provide support for the Iranian government."
  — Amin Naini ([09:54])

6. Life Under Internet Blackout

• Everyday impacts: Most citizens lose access to the world and each other. Young people continuously hunt for functional VPNs; many anticipate shutdowns during any national crisis ([11:13]).

  "It has become a pattern in Iran that people know that every major crisis that happens, the first thing that the government does is Internet shutdown."
  — Amin Naini ([11:26])

• Coping mechanisms:

  • VPNs: Most VPNs are quickly detected and blocked.
  • Starlink: A small, wealthy minority may use Starlink satellite kits, but they're expensive and possession is punishable ([12:40]).

  "The only available tool is Starlink. But the issue is that very few people in Iran have access to Starlink because Starlink kits are very expensive… if government finds that you have [it], you will be punished legally."
  — Amin Naini ([12:40])

7. Iran's Offensive Cyber Capabilities

• Active in cyberspace: Iran uses cyberattacks and online disinformation campaigns both regionally and globally, targeting infrastructure, sensitive sectors, and democratic trust abroad ([13:37]).

  "Offensive cyber strategy has become a very important part of Iran's strategy towards its enemies. Cyber attacks to target infrastructures… and also using online campaigns, disinformation campaigns to erode trust in democratic countries…"
  — Amin Naini ([13:37])

8. The Future: National Internet Completion & Prospects for Connectivity

• Completion status: Iran's national internet is only about 60% complete, with plans to continue developing for at least another 5–10 years.

• Prospects for open internet: Restoration is unlikely before the end of ongoing conflicts, and likely to be delayed even after.

  "It's very unlikely to see they will restore Internet connection during the war… even after the war, for a few days or maybe weeks, they don't do that because… they perceive it as a threat."
  — Amin Naini ([14:31])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The Supreme Council of Cyberspace—sounds like something out of Star Trek."
  — Matt Bevan ([06:44])

• "It's hard to describe that situation to someone outside Iran… For the first day of this recent round of Internet shutdown, I received messages from my friends that they said, 'oh, we are waiting to see when we are disconnected.'"
  — Amin Naini ([11:13])

• "We're doing that ourselves." (on the need for state-driven disinformation campaigns to erode trust in democracies)
  — Matt Bevan, displaying sardonic wit ([14:18])

Key Timestamps

• [01:28] – Interview with Iran’s Foreign Minister: rationale behind internet restriction
• [02:46] – Early internet freedom in Iran and the pivotal 2009 protests
• [05:46] – Establishment of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace
• [06:54] – Goals of the National Information Network
• [09:54] – Collaboration with China and Russia
• [11:13] – Amin describes life during an internet blackout
• [12:40] – Coping strategies: VPNs and Starlink
• [13:37] – Iran’s cyberattack and disinformation strategies
• [14:31] – Predictions about the duration and future of the blackout
• [15:03] – Status of national internet completion

Episode Tone

The conversation blends sobering analysis with moments of dry humor and empathy, effectively underscoring both the real-world consequences of authoritarian digital control and the adaptability (and occasional despair) of ordinary Iranians.

In Closing

This episode offers an incisive look at how Iran is engineering its own digital iron curtain, drawing lessons from international authoritarian regimes, and deepening state surveillance and control for both political survival and cyber warfare. For listeners, Amin Naini’s direct testimony grounds this complex geopolitical story in daily reality—marked by frustration, ingenuity, and uncertainty for millions of Iranians.

Next episode preview:
Matt teases an upcoming discussion on the Strait of Hormuz and why alternative trade routes were never constructed, despite ongoing global tensions.