Iran’s government says they have halted protests by blocking Internet

Iran's most senior clerics stated on Friday during prayer, led by Iran’s Ayatollah, that they have effectively halted the Protests that have plagued the nation for the eighth day by blocking social media internet access. While the Iranian’s leadership “claims” it has halted the turmoil, the protestors stated that despite not having access to their mobile Internet App, Telegram, they will continue to protest against the regime, the Telegraph.UK reported.

The protests in Iran evolved due to Iranian government corruption and deteriorating economic stability which has led to the ever-increasing costs of petroleum, products, and services and by all accounts, the protestors say that no matter what the Iranian government does, they will not halt the demonstrations.

Iran’s government statement

Iran’s radical Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami stated the protestors were utilizing the Internet to promote the flames of the crusade and when it was shut down, the protests stopped. Khatami further stated that “Iran does not support a social network that has its key in the hands of the United States.” In addition, the Iranian embassy in London, England, filed a grievance with Ofcom a regulations broadcast entity, accusing them that one of their UK-based Farsi-language based channels had been encouraging the Iranian protests.

Although Iran didn’t state which channel it was, the BBC’s Persian Gulf service has often been the target of Iran’s government.

Protestors’ reaction

However, the protestors stated that the protests will continue in that it would just mean that the pictures and recordings they take will just arrive slower to the outside world and that they will continue to get those images and recordings for the world to see of what is going on in Iran. One of the demonstrators, Ali Reza told the Telegraph.UK, “They are stating that the demonstrations have ended but, the protests are actually still happening and the pictures are just coming out on the Internet a bit slower, but they are getting out to the Internet nonetheless.”

Telegraph.UK reported photos were released on Friday that shows thousands and thousands of Iranians in attendance at funerals for two demonstrators slain in the city of Masjed Soleyman.

Other Iranian's posted videos showing Iranian currency with the face of Ayatollah Khomeini, who founded Iran’s Islamic Republic, being burned, as demonstrations continue in several of Iran’s major cities, including Tehran.

UN Security Council and ISIS

On Friday night, the Security Council at the UN was to meet and discuss the Iranian situation, a request by the United States, but one of Iran’s allies, Russia, called out the U.S. and stated that the U.S. is “shamelessly” meddling in the internal affairs of Iran. It was also reported that ISIS/ISIL, the radical Islamic terrorist group has endorsed the protestors and affirmed them as a “rebellion against the Iranian government.”

Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, sent out a tweet implying a link between ISIL, Saudi Arabia, and President Trump’s administration, stating that they all were plotting against Iran’s government.