Iranian authorities have lifted the ban on using WhatsApp within the country.

Previously, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian promised to ease internet restrictions.

It remains unclear when the decision will take effect. The Supreme Council for Information Security of the Islamic Republic holds its meetings behind closed doors, and the voices of its members are not published. Meanwhile, Iran's Minister of Communications Sattar Hashemi reported that the initial step towards lifting internet restrictions was taken "unanimously and by consensus."

As reported by the reformist daily "Shargh" ("East"), 136 legislators out of 290 members of the Iranian parliament sent a letter to the council stating that lifting the restrictions on the use of Google Play and WhatsApp would be a "gift" to Iran's enemies.

At the same time, the ban on Facebook, X, Telegram, and YouTube, which has been in place since 2009, remains in effect.

Google Play and WhatsApp were blocked in Iran in 2022 following protests triggered by the death of 22-year-old student Mahsa Amini. The morality police detained her for an improper hijab, later claiming that she "had a heart attack." Amini's relatives insist that she was beaten to death by the police.

The protests lasted for several months and became one of the most significant challenges to the Iranian conservative leadership in recent decades. Hundreds of people died in clashes, thousands were arrested, and several protest participants were executed.