Unexpected surprises: callers to Iran hear mysterious voiceemail

Unexpected surprises: callers to Iran hear mysterious voiceemail

People who try to call friends and relatives in Iran Language messages. Experts suspect that this could be part of the regime's more comprehensive internet hatdown.

scary calls from Iran

In a phone recording that is available, a person outside Iran hopes to hear her friend at the other end, but is greeted by a robotic voice. "Hello and thank you for taking the time to listen," says the voice. "Life is full of unexpected surprises," she continues, "and these surprises sometimes bring joy while challenging us at other times." The voice advises the listener to close his eyes and imagine in a place that brings him peace and happiness.

telecommunications problems and online censorship

Different variations of the message have been heard, but this version seems to be the most frequently heard that attempted to get through mobile phones in Iran on Wednesday and Thursday. However, no similar message was reported when calling for landline connections.

The concern about this news is growing after Iran introduced temporary restrictions on internet access due to security concerns on Wednesday. This meant that whatsapp did not work so that people began to call their friends and families in Iran directly instead of communicating via the app. According to reports, the message for calls via an app cannot be heard.

reactions and assumptions

The initial assumption of many Iranians was that the news was the result of an Israeli cyber attack. However, others see the Iranian authorities responsible. Alp Toker, the founder and director of NetBlocks, a non-governmental organization that monitors internet governance, believes that the news is an attempt by the Iranian government to limit telecommunications as part of the more comprehensive measures for internet gear. "If the Internet is switched off, the phones have to go somewhere, and that will be the relapse message on the device," he told CNN.

technical backgrounds

Toker added that Netblocks has already observed such a phenomenon in other places in the world when the internet access has been interrupted. "Sometimes it contains an advertisement for summer vacations and sometimes other nonsense," says Toker. According to Toker, the news is generated as text-to-language audio and seem to have been set up quickly.

A telecommunications expert from the United Kingdom, which has heard the most common news, said to CNN that "the call after the second ring seems to be intercepted, which is extremely unusual and worrying. This indicates interventions at the network level - long before a correct connection is established." The expert asked to stay anonymous, for security reasons.

Current situation and outlook

Neither Israel nor Iran have publicly commented on the recorded telephone messages. NetBlocks found that access to international Internet services was partially restored in some parts of Iran on Saturday "after about 62 hours of serious disorder". "While some regions have experienced improvements, the overall connectivity remains under the normal level, which limits people's ability to communicate freely and to receive independent information," added Netblocks.

The semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that international Internet services should be resumed by 8 p.m. local time, referred to a statement by the Minister of Communication. However, Tasnim later reported that this was not the case, citing the same minister.

According to the Ministry of Communication, Iranians abroad can now contact their families in Iran via domestic messaging apps. The Iranian government has repeatedly restricted Internet access in the country in the past. During national protests in 2022 there were several Internet switching