Iran Lifts Ban On WhatsApp

On Tuesday, Iran’s top council responsible for safeguarding the internet voted to lift a ban on the popular messaging application WhatsApp, which has been subject to restrictions for more than two years, state media reported.

“The ban on WhatsApp and Google Play was removed by unanimous vote of the members of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace,” the official IRNA news agency said.

The council is headed by the president and its members include the parliament speaker, the head of the judiciary, and several ministers.

“Today, we took the first step towards lifting internet restrictions with unanimity and consensus,” Minister of Communications Sattar Hashemi said on X.

It was not immediately clear when the decision would come into force.

The move has sparked a debate in Iran, with critics of the restrictions arguing the controls were costly for the country.

“The restrictions have achieved nothing but anger and added costs to people’s lives,” presidential adviser Ali Rabiei said on X Tuesday.

“President Masoud Pezeshkian believes in removing restrictions and does not consider the bans to be in the interest of the people and the country. All experts also believe that this issue is not beneficial to the country’s security,” Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday.

Others, however, warned against lifting the restrictions.

The reformist Shargh Daily on Tuesday reported that 136 lawmakers in the 290-member parliament sent a letter to the council saying the move would be a “gift to (Iran’s) enemies”.

The lawmakers called for allowing access to restricted online platforms only “if they are committed to the values of Islamic society and comply with the laws of” Iran.