Tehran residents attempt to resume normal life as internet returns
Tehran residents have told that although the Iranian capital remains relatively quiet, people are trying to return to normal life ahead of Sunday when the work week will resume.
“Things are fine. Roads are getting busier back into Tehran from other areas because the government has said work begins on Sunday,” one resident who had just returned to the city told on Saturday, asking that their name be withheld.
The initial shock had passed. People are trying to go about their lives as best and as normally as they can,” the resident added.
The work week usually starts from Saturday in Iran, but the country has been largely offline since nationwide restrictions on internet access were imposed across the country on Wednesday, which the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said was due to security concerns.
Semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Saturday that international internet services will resume by 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, citing the communications minister.
NetBlocks, a non-governmental organization that monitors internet governance, said Saturday that its telemetry confirmed a “partial restoration of connectivity in Iran after approximately 62 hours of severe disruption.”
“While some regions have seen improvements, overall connectivity remains below ordinary levels, continuing to hinder people’s ability to communicate freely and access independent information,” it added.
Another Tehran resident, who had planned to get a haircut Saturday, told : “Yesterday and today Tehran has been quieter. The city is so nice, without traffic and so many people and everything is available in abundance: Gas, food.”
While Tehran remains quiet, locals in nearby cities have reported longer queues for ATMs and bakeries, after residents from the capital arrived seeking shelter. Video from Damavand, east of Tehran, showed people queuing for bread, with one man noting the bakery was unusually busy.