Iran has long been ranked among the world's most repressive countries for press freedom. In the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Iran placed 176th out of 180 countries, below Taliban-ruled Afghanistan at 175th.
But journalists and media watchdogs say the US-Israel war with Iran has pushed reporting conditions to an even more dangerous point. Authorities are tightening an already repressive environment, strictly controlling information.
One journalist working for a well-known Iranian outlet told DW that the publication is now being more closely monitored, with editorial instructions passed down from above. The newspaper's website cannot be accessed from outside Iran, and only a limited number of outlets close to the security establishment have reliable access to the global internet.
In March, RSF reported that journalists in Iran faced an information blackout while trying to report under dangerous wartime conditions. Some reporters received threatening phone calls from state-linked institutions. Access to information inside Iran has been "severely restricted."
According to Reuters on April 28, Iran entered the third month of an internet blackout, with authorities introducing limited access for some businesses under a temporary scheme called "Internet Pro." This has created a two-tier information system: much of the population lacks normal global internet access, while a small number of media actors have been given exceptions.
Another Iranian journalist told DW that some colleagues tried to obtain "white SIM cards," which reportedly allow freer international internet access for people approved by security agencies. She refused, believing the arrangement was discriminatory and politically compromising. The expectation, she said, is that recipients must stay within the boundaries of the state narrative.
A journalist based in Tehran told DW that independent reporting has become nearly impossible. Even some credentialed reporters who tried to cover strike locations were briefly detained and had their footage deleted. DW could not independently verify each case, but the broader pattern matches descriptions by press freedom groups.
State media continue to frame unauthorized reporting as harmful to national security. Journalists say domestic outlets are effectively confined to the official version of events and avoid publishing sensitive details, including public mood and the full human impact of the war.
However, some analysts argue the state's propaganda effort is failing. Behrouz Tourani, a media expert and journalism trainer, told DW that the Iranian regime's "media propaganda during this war has failed." He said messaging has often appeared clumsy and disconnected from people's lived reality, exposing the growing gap between official narratives and what Iranians are experiencing.
The crackdown has also extended to exiled journalists and activists. Reuters reported on March 9 that Tehran warned Iranians abroad who publicly backed the US and Israel that they could face legal consequences, including confiscation of property in Iran. In March, the judiciary said people accused of spying, cooperating with "hostile states," or helping enemy targeting could face the death penalty and confiscation of all assets under a law strengthened during the war.
Iran's judiciary and security apparatus have for years pursued journalists and ordinary citizens over reporting. What many reporters describe now is not an entirely new system, but a much harsher version of an old one, leading to an information vacuum. As independent reporting becomes harder and internet access remains restricted, the space for verified journalism shrinks.
Source: www.dw.com