Tehran [Iran], January 13 (ANI): Iran's top cyberspace authority on Monday announced that access to the global internet will remain restricted in the country until officials are satisfied that full security has been restored amid widespread anti-government rallies driven by soaring inflation, economic hardship and mounting public anger over governance, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported.

According to Press TV, citing the President of Iran's National Center for Cyberspace, Mohammad Amin Aqamiri, the internet blackout, imposed on January 9 amid widespread unrest in several provinces, will continue for the time being.

He added that the exact timeline for lifting the restrictions will be announced once authorities have completed their security assessments.

'The time to return to normal conditions will be announced in the future, and authorities must certainly brief us on security considerations,' Aqamiri said, as quoted by the IRNA news agency.

Aqamiri described the shutdown as necessary to counter 'cognitive warfare' carried out by Iran's adversaries in cyberspace, noting that the domestic intranet system, known as the National Information Network (NIN), has been strengthened to maintain essential online services despite limited access to the global internet.

'The NIN is a platform through which we can guarantee stable services for the public,' Aqamiri said, adding that domestic messaging apps, search engines, and artificial intelligence services will be expanded to minimise disruptions to daily life, Press TV reported.

He also confirmed that citizens currently have access to online banking and shopping services through the NIN.

According to NetBlocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors cybersecurity and Internet governance, 108 hours have passed since Iran imposed a nationwide internet blackout.

'Update: It has been 108 hours since #Iran introduced a nationwide internet shutdown, leaving Iranians isolated from the rest of the world and each other,' the organisation said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Iran's Telecom Minister Sattar Hashemi said that all government departments would comply with the decision of top security officials to maintain the internet restrictions while continuing efforts to eventually restore full access, Press TV reported.

According to the most recent verified data from the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), a total of 646 people have lost their lives in connection with the protests so far. The death toll includes 505 protesters, among them nine children, as well as 133 members of Iran's military and security forces, one prosecutor, and seven civilians who were not involved in the demonstrations.

The current protest, in its 16th day, has spread nationwide, with 606 gatherings across 187 cities, according to HRANA. (ANI)