Over several months of war and then cease-fire between the United States and Iran, hearing the voices of ordinary Iranians has become increasingly difficult amid a growing climate of fear.
Some brave individuals have continued to speak to journalists from foreign news organizations, including RFE/RL's Radio Farda, though almost always insisting on anonymity. This was also the case as news broke that a framework deal had been announced by Washington and Tehran.
But in many cases even sources who have previously been prepared to bear witness to events in their country have gone silent.
'Cooperation With The Enemy'
Some have recounted being warned by security officials not to speak in particular to US state-funded Persian-language media, such as Radio Farda, amid a crackdown in which the Iranian authorities say they have charged increasing numbers with espionage for "cooperation with the enemy."
In recent weeks, Iranian residents have repeatedly mentioned fear of detention and prosecution, as well as the high probability of these outcomes as a result of communicating with Radio Farda.
"I have talked to several of my close friends who trust me, but they refused to send any recorded message even with changed name and voice or even if somebody else reads their message," said one Radio Farda contact who, like many others cited in this article, could not be named for security reasons.
"The Islamic republic's propaganda against Persian media, especially during the war, is a big fear factor. The pressure on the public is very intense. People don't want to risk any kind of detention or questioning from security forces," the source added.
An Iran-based analyst who was a regular Radio Farda interview guest before the war made a similar point.
"I am not able to talk to you on the record because I will be immediately picked up by security forces," said the analyst, who has been imprisoned in the past.
'No Interviews'
Another political analyst who also gave interviews to Radio Farda before the war added more detail.
"We have been told not to give any interview or news to Iranian media outside the country that are affiliated with Iran's enemies," the analyst said, referring to the United States and Israel, whose campaign of air strikes on Iran launched the conflict on February 28.
"I have no problem to give an interview to BBC Persian. Iranian authorities say the UK is not at war with Iran," the analyst added.
Still, the BBC has faced restrictions of its own. While correspondent Lyse Doucet was able to report from Tehran during the war, it was subject to condition that her material would not be used in the BBC's Persian-language output.
Reflecting on his experience reporting from Iran during the war, CNN correspondent Frederick Pleitgen also noted "a lot of people are afraid to speak to you."
It's unclear whether this situation will improve if, as announced, the United States and Iran sign a framework deal aimed at ending hostilities and beginning further talks on broader issues such as Tehran's nuclear program on June 19.
"While this deal was being negotiated and announced, the Islamic republic has not changed when it comes to its brutality against the citizens," noted a Tehran resident in his late 30s who was among those who gave Radio Farda their response to the deal.
'Silencing, Suppressing, Executing'
In any case, Iran's human rights record of suppressing dissent, jailing opponents, and executing political prisoners has been firmly established since the Islamic Revolution that brought the clerical establishment to power in 1979.
The degree of internal repression has waxed and waned over time.
Shiva Nazarahari from the Volunteer Committee to Follow-Up on the Situation of Detainees, an informal activist group, told Radio Farda that the current conditions recall the situation during the 1980s.
"It seems that a version of the Islamic republic has come back into power and is now governing and confronting protesters in the same way -- holding the same fear-based mindset of silencing, suppressing, executing, and stifling even the smallest voice -- so that it can completely control the political space," said Nazarahari, who is based in Slovenia.
The charges often come under legislation adopted following the 12-day war with Israel in June last year. This added harsher sentences for alleged spying and collaboration with Israel and the United States.
These kinds of allegations have played a major role in the current crackdown.
Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir recently said 3,121 people had been accused of cooperating with Israel, for example, though the specific time period he was referring to was not clear.
According to a report on Iran's state-affiliated Mehr news agency, 43 percent of these cases concerned "political, cultural, media, and propaganda activities."
"We are also seeing a very large number of people who are in prisons and were arrested during the war period for various reasons -- most of whom have ultimately been charged with accusations related to espionage," noted Nazarahari.
In late May, Amnesty International reported some 6,000 people had been "arbitrarily arrested" since the war broke out, including protesters, journalists, activists, and members of ethnic and religious minorities.
The Iran Human Rights Group, a watchdog based in Norway, reported on June 8 that at least 40 prisoners, including 19 arrested during protests in January, had been hanged on politically motivated charges so far this year.
Security forces killed thousands of people during a brutal crackdown on those protests, which took place in multiple cities across the country.
