Iran’s Communications Minister: Cybersecurity a Vital National Priority

Addressing legal and policy advances, Hashemi cited provisions in the 2025 budget law and mandates in the Seventh Development Plan that allocate resources for cybersecurity. “Digital security is a national necessity,” he said, adding that lawmakers have designated funding to establish Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) centers and to bolster the cybersecurity sector.

Private sector at the center of cybersecurity drive
Hashemi emphasized that security solutions will not emerge solely from government entities. “Security will not be created within the government alone; the private sector must be the axis of this movement,” he said. He praised Iranian firms’ progress in cyber defense and expressed confidence that, with continued support, domestic companies will achieve greater growth and prominence in the field.

Technology diplomacy and international presence
On the role of technology diplomacy, Hashemi linked international engagement with the government’s broader digital-economy targets. To reach a 10 percent contribution of the digital sector to gross domestic product, he argued, Iran must pursue two priorities: expanding into global markets and raising domestic productivity. “Achieving this goal is not possible without an active presence of Iranian companies on the international stage,” he said.

Highlighting successful projects completed by Iranian firms in Latin America and Africa — including telecommunications and fiber-optic deployments — Hashemi noted that competition with established global brands demonstrates domestic capability. “With appropriate support, we can win a larger share of international markets,” he added.

Smart industries and resource savings
Hashemi identified industrial digitization as another national priority, underscoring potential efficiency gains from information and communications technology. “Information technology can reduce energy consumption by up to

 20 percent,” he said, estimating annual savings on the order of $20 billion. He pointed to mining, steel and petrochemical sectors as areas where digital transformation could deliver significant resource and cost efficiencies.

He also called for collaboration between network operators and the private sector to build the infrastructure necessary for industrial modernization, describing such cooperation as a potential turning point for the country’s industrial transformation.

“Iran Digital” to develop future workforce
The minister introduced the “Digital Iran” initiative as a flagship project of the ministry aimed at preparing the next generation for digital careers. The program, he said, begins with digital skills training at the secondary-school level and seeks to steer students and university graduates into digital entrepreneurship and employment. “In this pathway, content production and practical skills will replace formal credentials alone,” Hashemi said.

He noted plans to implement the initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Education, private companies, and provincial firms, naming Yazd — which ranks highly on several digital transformation indicators — as an early focal point for building the Digital Iran ecosystem.

Data transit and Iran’s geopolitical role
Turning to regional connectivity, Hashemi highlighted Iran’s growing role in data transit. He reported that the country’s data transit capacity rose by more than 60 percent over the past year and said authorities aim for 500 percent growth. “Given Iran’s geopolitical position, we can become one of the main routes for data transfer from Asia to Europe and the Persian Gulf,” he said.

The minister’s remarks underscore a government push to combine domestic capacity-building, private-sector engagement and international outreach as Iran seeks to expand its digital economy, enhance cybersecurity resilience and leverage its geographic position in regional data flows.