Iran Democracy Monitor No. 256
Still fewer internet freedoms;
From Moscow, with love;
Inside Iran, unrest grows...;
...leading the Basij to tighten its grip;
China's Iran war diplomacy
Still fewer internet freedoms;
From Moscow, with love;
Inside Iran, unrest grows...;
...leading the Basij to tighten its grip;
China's Iran war diplomacy
As the Trump administration grapples with how best to confront Iran, its efforts remain centered on sporadic military action and the promise of aggressive economic sanctions. Meanwhile, inside the country, a human rights crisis is escalating—one that Washington is uniquely positioned to help counter.
Russian-Iranian collaboration deepens...
...while the Islamic Republic explores regional partnerships
Tehran targets "hostile" foreign media
Setting its sights on Europe
Executions as deterrence
Iran's expanding reach into Europe;
Iran, Afghanistan and China ponder free trade zone;
Beijing bolsters Tehran's missile defenses;
Public hangings: A message to protesters
An Iranian hand behind cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure
On February 28, 2026, Iranian authorities cut all internet access, plunging Iran into what became an 88-day nationwide blackout—the longest in modern history. What does this shutdown reveal about the Islamic Republic's increasingly sophisticated censorship regime, and what lessons can we apply to strengthen existing and new circumvention tools to keep Iranians online the next time Tehran moves to disconnect them?