Listen to the article
By Staff Writer
In the wake of the lethal repression of civilian protests across Iran, with fatalities now estimated to exceed 15,000, the board of MTN-Irancell dismissed Alireza Rafiei as the company’s chief executive yesterday for “disobeying orders from security bodies” to implement the internet shutdown immediately.
Tasnim, the media group owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported on Monday 19 January that it took Rafiei and his management team at MTN-Irancell several hours to implement the order from the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to shut down the internet nationwide. The SNSC issued the order on the morning of 08 January, while Rafiei and his team only completed the nationwide shutdown by 10 pm. The board reportedly considered this delay unacceptable under what it described as “crisis conditions”. Rafiei had been in the role for just over a year.
The board of MTN-Irancell announced on Tasnim’s news channels that Rafiei has been replaced with Mohammed Hossein Soleimaniyan with immediate effect.
According to credible sources in the Iranian opposition, Soleimaniyan is a senior member of the IRGC and a veteran of its terrorist operations both in Iran and abroad. He is also reported to be a relative of the late IRGC General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a drone strike on 03 January 2020 while leading the organisation’s global operations.
Opposition sources say the appointment of a senior IRGC figure as chief executive of MTN-Irancell indicates a decision by the Supreme Leader and the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), the company’s controlling shareholders, to escalate the weaponisation of Iran’s largest digital platform for domestic and international repression in order to retain their weakening grip on power.
If confirmed, this development would mark another significant escalation in the potential legal exposure of the MTN Group and its shareholders as a result of its partnership with MODAFL and the Supreme Leader in MTN-Irancell. The MTN Group is currently facing extensive litigation from the families of more than 500 American soldiers under the US Anti-Terrorism Act over allegations of involvement in their deaths. The company also disclosed in August 2025 that it is the subject of a grand jury investigation by the US Department of Justice.
Internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks reported yesterday that the nationwide internet blackout has entered its twelfth day, with national connectivity remaining at minimal levels.
MTN has been asked to comment.