Rouhani Launches Surprise Attack on the Media
In a meeting to mark the end of Ramadan, President Rouhani spoke out against journalists, criticizing them for "raising people's expectations" and focusing unnecessarily on the economy. Journalists have responded in anger, arguing that it is their job to report on society — and that the overarching feeling at the moment was despair.
The Ban on Telegram
Iran’s judiciary has banned Telegram, the instant messaging app used by millions of Iranians, including by businesses, the media, politicians and the general public. The news was announced on Iranian state television on April 30.
So how did the Guards’ war against Telegram evolve, and what steps has it taken to stamp out what one ayatollah has referred to as a “putrid swamp”, and which others accuse of being home to “shadowy strategists,” operating as a platform for “immorality” and, recently a “pyramid scheme that is devouring the Iranian economy?”
