Morning Read | Most Regions of Iran Completely Disconnected from International Internet

(Gathered from: Shanghai Observer News)

Good morning! Shanghai Observer News ‘Morning Reading’ is here! Today is Thursday, March 19, 2026, the second day of the lunar February.

§ Yesterday and this morning

Extension of 30 years | On March 18, the “Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Doing a Good Job in the Pilot Work of Extending the Land Contract for 30 Years After Its Expiry” were released. The opinions emphasize conducting contract extensions at the household level to ensure that the vast majority of farmers’ original contracted land remains stable. No re-tendering or disruptive redistribution is allowed, nor illegal adjustments or reclamation of farmers’ contracted land. Strictly regulate minor adjustments in accordance with laws and regulations. Maintain “great stability, small adjustments,” with the premise that “small adjustments” are based on “great stability.”

Foreign investment boost | On the morning of March 18, the 42nd batch of certificates for regional headquarters and R&D centers of multinational companies was awarded in Shanghai. Thirty multinational companies’ regional headquarters and 15 foreign-funded R&D centers received certificates. In 2025, Shanghai established over 6,300 new foreign-invested enterprises, a 6.8% increase year-on-year, with actual foreign investment exceeding $16 billion. Sixty new regional headquarters of multinational companies and 45 foreign-funded R&D centers were newly recognized. By February this year, the total reached 1,084 and 647 respectively.

On March 18, the Deyun Society Shanghai branch was inaugurated at the Sichuan North Road People’s Theater in Hongkou District. Photo by Jiang Diwen, Liberation Daily.

Deyun Society in Shanghai | On March 18, the Shanghai branch of Deyun Society was inaugurated at the Sichuan North Road People’s Theater in Hongkou District, Shanghai, with Guo Degang, Yu Qian, and four generations of performers from “Yunhe Jiuxiao” appearing. Deyun Society currently has 11 performance troupes. Besides the fixed joint performance troupe based in Beijing, the other troupes operate on a nationwide rotating schedule.

Situation escalation | According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency on March 18, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued an emergency warning, stating that oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar have become “legitimate targets for attack.” The Saudi Samael refinery and Jubail Petrochemical Complex, the UAE Al Hosen natural gas field, Qatar’s Maysaid Petrochemical Complex and Ras Laffan Refinery (Phase 1 and 2), and Maysaid Holding Company are expected to be attacked within the next few hours. Local residents are advised to evacuate to safe areas as soon as possible. Starting from the afternoon of March 18, most of Iran, including the capital Tehran, entered a state of complete disconnection from the international internet, with diplomatic missions in Iran and communications outside Iran almost entirely cut off.

On March 18, in Beirut, Lebanon, an explosion occurred after an Israeli airstrike on a building. Photo by Xinhua/Mei Lian.

Export restrictions | According to data from Belgium’s market service provider Kpler, during the week ending March 15, oil exports from eight major Gulf oil-producing countries—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE—averaged 9.71 million barrels per day. In February, their average exports reached 25.13 million barrels per day, a decline of about 61%.

Interest rates unchanged | The U.S. Federal Reserve concluded its two-day monetary policy meeting on March 18, announcing that the federal funds rate target range will remain at 3.5% to 3.75%. This decision aligns with market expectations and marks the second consecutive pause in rate hikes this year. The Fed’s statement mentioned that the impact of Middle East tensions on the U.S. economy remains uncertain, and economic outlook uncertainties remain high.

AI price increase | On March 18, Alibaba Cloud announced that starting April 18, due to global AI demand surge and rising supply chain costs, prices for AI computing power and storage products will be increased, with a maximum rise of 34%. This includes a 5% to 34% increase in the price of computing cards like the Pingtouge Zhenwu 810E, and a 30% increase in file storage products CPFS (Smart Computing Edition). Last week, Tencent announced that the price of its “Hun Yuan” foundational model on its intelligent platform increased more than fourfold; it also began charging for third-party models hosted on its cloud services, such as Zhipu AI and Moon Shadow, ending the previous free trial period. Additionally, Google recently announced plans to raise prices for related services.

Tourist numbers plummet | According to data released by Japan’s National Tourism Organization on March 18, the number of visitors from mainland China to Japan in the first two months of this year decreased by 54.1% year-on-year. In January, Chinese visitors declined by 60.7%, and in February, by 45.2%.

International personnel | On March 18, Venezuela’s acting President Delsi Rodriguez announced on social media the appointment of General Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez as the new Minister of Defense, replacing the long-serving Padriño Lopez. On the same day, Myanmar’s former State Administrative Council Secretary Aung Lin Dwe was elected as the new Speaker of the National Assembly.

Original title: “Morning Reading | Iran’s Major Regions Fully Disconnected from International Internet”

Chief Editor: Zhou Yangqing Text Editor: Zhou Yangqing

Source: Author: Liberation Daily, Xu Yiyan

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