Iran
Iran is in Western Asia, bordering the Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea, and seven countries including Iraq, Türkiye, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. It has an estimated population of over 85 million people, making it one of the most populous countries in the Middle East. Iran’s terrain is diverse, comprising large mountain ranges, deserts, and urban population centres concentrated around Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad.
Iran’s telecommunications sector is largely state‑controlled and anchored by the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) and major mobile operators providing nationwide 2G, 3G, and extensive 4G/LTE coverage. Mobile connectivity is the primary access channel for most users, while fixed broadband relies heavily on legacy ADSL (an early, now-outdated broadband technology), with fibre rollout progressing unevenly.
Iran operates a National Information Network (NIN), a domestic intranet that allows some internal services to function during international connectivity disruptions. The sector remains constrained by sanctions, regulatory controls, and the Government’s capacity to impose restraining or shutdowns during periods of unrest or crisis.
The security environment across the Middle East has deteriorated sharply following coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iranian military and leadership‑linked sites on 28 February 2026, and subsequent retaliatory missile activity across Israel and U.S. positions in the Gulf. Alongside military operations, the situation has evolved into a hybrid conflict marked by large‑scale cyber operations. Iran has experienced a near‑total disruption of internet connectivity, with widespread outages affecting government services, media platforms, and digital communications nationwide.
During crisis, emergency telecommunications coordination falls under the United Nations system, led globally by the World Food Programme through the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster. Security Communications Systems for UN and NGO personnel are guided by Telecommunications Security Standards {TESS+}, an inter‑agency mechanism mandated by UNDSS and coordinated by WFP.
The ETC is closely monitoring developments in Iran and the wider region and remains on standby to support inter‑agency emergency telecommunications needs should the situation deteriorate further and require coordinated humanitarian telecommunications assistance.
ICT Profile
National Disaster Management Organization (NDMO)
Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA)
93 million (as of 2026)
Iran is in Western Asia, bordering the Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea, and seven countries including Iraq, Türkiye, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. It has an estimated population of over 85 million people, making it one of the most populous countries in the Middle East. Iran’s terrain is diverse, comprising large mountain ranges, deserts, and urban population centres concentrated around Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad.
Iranian Rial (IRR)
32 (2023, World Bank)
166 (2023, World Bank)
12.02 (2023, World Bank)
127 (2024, ITU)
65.4 (2024, GSMA)
96.8% (2024, ITU)
National Disaster Management Strategy of Islamic Republic of Iran (2021)
The National Disaster Management Law was adopted by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) on July 29, 2019. It was then approved by the Guardian Council on August 18, 2019. Finally, as a law, it was notified to the Ministry of Interior for implementation by then President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, H.E. Dr. Hassan Rouhani under the letter No. 68739 dated August 26, 2019. According to Article 9 of the Law, development of the National Disaster Management Strategy of the country was entrusted to the National Disaster Management Organization of Iran.
In accordance with the National Disaster Management Law and other laws and regulations, the current document specifies orientations, principles, criteria and methods necessary for disaster prediction, prevention, risk reduction, preparedness, response, reconstruction and rehabilitation by entities subject to the Law and determines public participation will take place in the processes of disaster management. In order to achieve this, it was necessary to compile the vision, goals, strategies and priority measures of the disaster management at the macro level within this document.
The Cyberspace Users Rights Protection and Regulation of Key Online Services (2021)
The Cyberspace Users Rights Protection and Regulation of Key Online Services is a legislative initiative in Iran designed to establish a centralized regulatory framework for internet infrastructure and services. The bill proposes to mandate data localization for international platforms and transfer oversight of the country's internet gateways to a commission that includes military and security representatives.
Civil Aviation Law (2003)
The Civil Aviation Law (2003) provides the legal foundation for regulating civil aviation activities in Iran, including the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Under this law, the Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) is responsible for licensing UAV operators, managing airspace integration, and enforcing safety standards. The law ensures that UAV operations are conducted in a manner that does not interfere with manned aircraft and adheres to safety and operational regulations. It aims to integrate UAVs into the national airspace system while maintaining high safety and operational standards.