Iran Mandates Ministry of ICT to Enable Disconnection of Foreign Networks from National Information Grid
New national defense document grants authority to isolate internet infrastructure from global networks.
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Iran has formally approved a sweeping strategic document aimed at hardening its critical electronic infrastructure against what authorities describe as emerging threats - granting the Ministry of ICT sweeping new powers over the country's national network, including the ability to sever connections to the global internet.
What Is the Document?
The "National Electronic Passive Defense Strategic Document" was ratified at the 101st session of the country's Permanent Passive Defense Working Group. Valid for a period of ten years, the document assigns legally binding responsibilities to all executive bodies operating electronic infrastructure of high national importance. Implementation is to be overseen by Iran's Passive Defense Organization.
The document's preamble explicitly references Iran's "12-day war" as a turning point that exposed vulnerabilities in the country's reliance on electronic networks, satellite systems, and the electromagnetic spectrum - framing these as vectors for infrastructure warfare capable of disrupting civilian life and critical services.
The Ministry of ICT as a Key Player
The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is identified as a central actor in the strategy. Its assigned responsibilities span several dimensions of network security and management.
The ministry is required to secure and harden the country's wired and wireless communication infrastructure, national backbone network, satellite communications, and space-based systems - in coordination with the Electronic Passive Defense Command.
It is also tasked with monitoring, scanning, and detecting vulnerabilities across communication networks, and identifying electronic threats at the network layer. In response to electronic attacks, the ministry must execute countermeasures and containment actions in line with passive defense policies.
The Internet Disconnection Clause
Among the most significant provisions in the document is the explicit mandate for the Ministry of Communications to prepare alternative telecommunications and internet routing paths, and to build the technical capability to connect and disconnect foreign networks linked to Iran's National Information Network (NIN).
The document frames this capability as a crisis-management tool - designed to manage the relationship between Iran's domestic network and the global internet during conditions of threat or operational emergency, while ensuring that critical services remain operational in the event of disruption.
International Role and Reporting
Beyond domestic infrastructure, the ministry is charged with defending Iran's national interests in international telecommunications, communications, and space-related forums through what the document terms "defensive diplomacy." The ministry must also maintain contact with international rapid-response groups on electronic threats and submit periodic status reports on the country's electronic infrastructure to the Electronic Passive Defense Command.
Division of Responsibilities Across Agencies
The document distributes responsibilities across a broad range of state bodies. The Ministry of Defense, intelligence agencies, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Ministry of Science, the Ministry of Industry, and Iran's Customs Authority are each assigned roles - ranging from developing domestic semiconductors and controlling imports of suspicious equipment to intelligence support and specialized workforce development.
All bodies with significant electronic infrastructure are required to draft annual passive defense plans and allocate dedicated budget lines for implementation. The Passive Defense Organization will submit annual performance reports to the Permanent Working Group.
