Tehran has threatened Iranian citizens with long prison sentences if they share footage of Israel’s Friday night retaliation strikes with Western media, Britain’s Telegraph reported on Saturday.
Iran’s police force reportedly warned civilians that sharing evidence of the attacks with “hostile media affiliated with the Zionist regime” would lead to 10 years imprisonment.
Iran holds strict censorship laws, but many citizens bypass these with VPNs, allowing them to access sites restricted by the Islamic regime.
Citizens risking accessing Western media or restricted sites gamble with their lives, according to the Telegraph, as the most serious charge of violating Tehran’s internet laws can result in the death penalty.
While the regime admitted Israel successfully struck military sites in Tehran, southern Khuzestan, and western Ilam, Tehran officials claimed their air defenses “successfully intercepted and countered this aggressive action,” - admitting that only “limited damage was inflicted on some areas.”
Civilians suffer
Residents spoke with The Telegraph, voicing their concerns and anxieties as escalations between the Islamic regime and the Jewish state continue to inflame. These comments came as Iranian media attempted to project an image of normalcy following the attacks.
“We have done nothing to deserve this,” said Ali, a Tehran resident, speaking to The Telegraph. “I was woken up by my cousin, he was worried and asked me what we should do.”
“It has now turned into a distressing routine for us,” he added. “We really are fed up with this circle. Now, we should worry about the Iranian response.”
Mohsen, another resident, told the paper that he kept his daughter home for school over concerns for her mental health.
“She has been under intense pressure from hearing about the war, and I do not want her to hear anything today,” he said.