Iran/Turkiye Border: Amid nationwide internet disruptions and communication blocks in Iran, some citizens have begun traveling to the Turkish border to regain internet access and contact relatives abroad, according to a BBC News report. The restrictions, imposed during ongoing tensions and conflict involving Israel and the United States, have severely limited international calls and online connectivity inside Iran. Consequently, many Iranians are searching for alternative ways to communicate with loved ones. In one unusual workaround, a man near the border has started offering a paid service that allows people outside Iran to connect with individuals inside the country. To make the system work, he uses two mobile phones simultaneously — one connected to the Iranian network and another linked to the Turkish network.
Customers abroad call the Turkish phone through WhatsApp, after which the operator manually connects the call to someone inside Iran through the Iranian network. Although the method remains unreliable, it has become one of the few available communication channels during the blackout. Meanwhile, many Iranians say they are paying high prices simply to speak briefly with family members. Ava, a resident of Tehran, told the BBC she spent large sums to access the internet and speak with her fiancé in Canada after the war disrupted their wedding plans. Similarly, another resident named Hamid said he tried every possible method to reconnect with his wife and relatives abroad. Even when a connection works, calls often last only two or three minutes before dropping, costing roughly £28. At the same time, the cost of virtual private networks has surged dramatically. Hamid said VPN services now cost around £15 per gigabyte, making even short online sessions expensive. Nevertheless, many Iranians continue searching for ways to communicate. Even brief connections allow them to reassure worried relatives abroad and share critical updates during the ongoing crisis.
