Iranian Parliament approves bill to monitor foreign communications

The Iranian Parliament has approved key articles of a bill aimed at countering the influence of foreign intelligence services and entities. Under Article 10, the Ministry of Interior is mandated to establish an online system for the registration, management, and monitoring of foreign communications within three months of the law taking effect.

This system will grant full, real-time access to the Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organization. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is tasked with providing the necessary technical support, with implementation costs to be included in annual budgets.

Additionally, the bill requires the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology to incorporate content regarding enemy influence and media literacy into textbooks, following consultation with intelligence and cultural authorities. The Administrative and Recruitment Organization will also develop training programs based on intelligence guidelines.

The bill has faced opposition from the Iranian government. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s cabinet has warned that the broad scope of the legislation could restrict scientific communications, accelerate the migration of elites, and lead to negative domestic and international consequences. Human rights critics have also expressed concerns that the wide definition of “foreign communication” could place academic, media, and civil activities under heavy security surveillance.