The story: A series of reported cyber-attacks on state entities—including the national railway system—have gained the attention of Iranian media. While government officials have not confirmed the reported attacks, Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi has warned about “the new actions of cyber attackers.” While the origin of the attacks is not clear, they may give the hardliners enough pretext to advance their plans for limiting Internet freedom in Iran.

The coverage: The semi-official Fars News Agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on July 9 reported that hundreds...