Iran Claims to Control Protest Actions, but Internet is Still Restricted

JAKARTA - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said authorities had controlled the situation regarding the wave of protests in the country.

"The situation is under control," Araghchi said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors broadcast on Iranian television on Monday, January 12, reported by ANTARA from Sputnik.

He also stressed that restrictions would remain in place as long as the threat of protests remained.

"Some restrictions are still in place, and will continue to be implemented until we are sure there is no longer any threat," Araghchi said.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the internet problem would be resolved soon as the situation became more conducive.

He said the disruption of connectivity also affected the consular services of foreign diplomatic missions serving in Iran.

Iran's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said the government was working to restore internet services. Communication restrictions were carried out by security agencies following riots in recent days.

Internet access was not available in Tehran for more than 70 hours, according to RIA Novosti correspondent on Sunday. Mobile services operate limited during the day and are completely stopped at night, while short message services are also suspended.

Iran has been hit by a wave of protests since late December amid a weakening of the rial exchange rate. Demonstrators are protesting the sharp volatility of the national currency's exchange rate and its impact on wholesale and retail prices.

The local central bank recorded an annual inflation of 38.9 percent. The exchange rate of the US dollar in the unofficial market jumped from around 50,000 rials before May 2018, when the US withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran, to around 1.4 million rials (about Rp23,792) per dollar.