Summary
People in Iran are finding ways to communicate with family members abroad despite restrictions on internet and phone use during the ongoing conflict involving the U.S. and Israel. Some use a service at the Iran-Turkey border that allows calls to bypass these blocks, although the service is costly and unreliable.
Key Facts
- Internet and phone restrictions have been imposed in Iran during a war involving the U.S. and Israel.
- A service provider at the Iran-Turkey border uses two phones to connect Iranians with relatives outside the country.
- One phone connects to Iran's network, while the other connects to Turkey's, enabling calls via WhatsApp.
- Calls usually last a few minutes and are cut off quickly, with high costs of around £28 ($38) for 4-5 minutes.
- Many Iranians use VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to overcome internet restrictions, despite high costs and unstable connections.
- The cost of VPNs in Iran has increased significantly, making them a financial burden for users.
- Iranians abroad remain anxious about their families due to ongoing conflicts and local unrest in Iran.
