As protests continue to erupt across Iran and reports of mass killings mount, internal documents obtained by JNS from inside Iran reveal that the Islamic Republic has been preparing a sweeping overhaul of the Iranian internet, designed to permanently entrench state control over information, communication and digital life. Far from a temporary security response, the documents show a long-term strategy, formally submitted to senior government authorities last August, to restructure Iran’s digital ecosystem in a way that allows the regime to block foreign platforms; criminalize circumvention tools; centralize data and artificial-intelligence capabilities; and force Iranians onto state-approved technology at every level.

The documents were obtained by JNS through a source in the Iranian tech community, who received the original copies from a government employee inside Iran. The files indicate that the regime was planning to shut off the entire country even before the current uprisings.

These revelations have surfaced amid one of the bloodiest periods in the history of the Islamic Republic. International reporting has documented widespread use of lethal force against demonstrators, mass arrests and systematic internet shutdowns. Some sources, including reporting cited by TIME magazine based on Iranian officials and medical contacts, have claimed that more than 30,000 protesters have already been killed. The Associated Press and other outlets described more than 20 days of nationwide blackouts and severe throttling of internet access aimed at preventing protesters from organizing or sharing evidence of abuses.