TEHRAN, Jan. 20 -- Iran will begin restoring internet access this week following an 11-day nationwide shutdown imposed during deadly anti-government protests, a senior official announced on Monday, as the authorities faced fresh diplomatic and human rights pressure.

Read More: Iran considers 'gradually' restoring Internet - Daily Times

"The internet will gradually return to normal operations this week," said Hossein Afshin, the vice president for science, technology and the knowledge economy, in remarks on state television. Limited service briefly returned on Sunday for select foreign websites, but attempts to open links remained blocked as of Monday.

Iran imposed the blackout on Jan 8 during mass demonstrations fuelled by worsening ec...