Iran will gradually lift internet restrictions in three phases by the Iranian New Year in March, a senior government official said on November 29, signalling a potential shift in the country's strict digital policies.

Iran’s previous administrations blocked most popular foreign websites over the past decade, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and several others, following protest movements against the government in recent years. The Pezeshkian administration promised to relax internet restrictions earlier this year but has faced a wall with opaque religious authorities blocking websites.

Majid Farahani, deputy coordinator to the president's executive deputy and head of the central council of the reformist Neda-ye Iranian (Voice of Iranians) Party, made the announcement during the party's eighth congress.

"Internet filtering will be removed in three stages before the New Year," Farahani said, without providing specific details about the timeline or which platforms would be affected.

Farahani also credited the current administration with preventing military escalation, saying the government had successfully kept Iran out of regional conflicts despite what he described as Israeli plans to target the country's infrastructure.

He added: "The election of the fourteenth government has, at the very least, removed the shadow of war from the country. The Zionist criminals had planned to drag Iran into war. They had serious plans to target the country's infrastructure."

"The party has courageously stood against the intensification of filtering, dismissal of university professors, and inappropriate security and law enforcement measures. We believe the country’s economic development lies in fostering free and friendly relations with all nations, approving the FATF, and adopting a non-hostile approach towards the world."

Iran has maintained strict controls on internet access, particularly following widespread protests in recent years, with many popular social media platforms and messaging services remaining blocked.

Iran's Kish Free Zone Organisation said it was negotiating to launch high-speed, unfiltered internet access on the island in a "controlled manner", its CEO said on September 13, in a move that could transform the island into a technology hub, Didbaniran reported.

Rahim Sarhangi, CEO of the organisation, told local media, "Negotiations have begun to launch high-speed internet without filters in a controlled manner in Kish, and we hope to reach a result in the near future."