r Istio version</h2><p>You can use <code>istioctl upgrade</code> to downgrade to a lower version of Istio. The steps are
identical to the upgrade process described in the previous section, only using the <code>istioctl</code> binary corresponding
to the lower version (e.g., 1.6.5). When completed, Istio will be restored to the previously installed version.</p><p>Alternatively, <code>istioctl install</code> can be used to install an older version of the Istio control plane, but is not recommended
because it 