Iran's judiciary ordered the popular Telegram instant messaging app be shut down to protect national security, state TV reported on Monday.

The order follows a temporary ban introduced by the government in January after dissidents used it to organize protests.

Read more: Mummified body in Iran poses a political headache

Frustrated Iranians take to the streets in anti-government protests Disillusionment on the rise High unemployment, high inflation and a deepening divide between poor and wealthy Iranians: The economic crisis in Iran is a major cause of frustration for many people. The easing of international sanctions following the 2015 nuclear deal has not improved people's living conditions as expected.

Frustrated Iranians take to the streets in anti-government protests Public uprising The majority of protesters so far are poor Iranians. People from major cities across the country converged on the capital, Tehran, to vent their anger when demonstrations began on December 28. They have since expanded to cities and towns in almost every province.

Frustrated Iranians take to the streets in anti-government protests Political demands It is not clear who is spearheading the protests, or if anyone is leading them at all. The demands have, however, become more political: stop backing the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, no intervention in Syria and Iraq. The protesters are urging the government to focus on domestic problems. There have also been calls for Ayatollah Khamenei to step down.

Frustrated Iranians take to the streets in anti-government protests 'Enemies of Iran' Five days after the demonstrators first took to the streets, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, reacted to the protesters' demands, accusing "enemies of Iran" of using "different tools including cash, weapons, politics and [the] intelligence apparatus to create troubles for the Islamic Republic."

Frustrated Iranians take to the streets in anti-government protests Harsh response Authorities report that 450 people were arrested in connection with the protests. Twenty-one people are believed to have died in violent clashes, among them 16 demonstrators. They are the largest protests Iran has seen since the disputed 2009 presidential election. Author: Hao Gui



The fallout

State TV reported that the prosecutor has ordered that companies block the app in a way that would not allow users to bypass the restrictions using a virtual private network.

Though Telegram has been used by dissidents to successfully organize mass protests, Iran's authorities say the app's primary clientele comprises terrorists and pornographers.

In anticipation of the ban, many government-affiliated users had already switched to Iranian alternatives to the international service.

Read more: Russian court blocks Telegram messaging app

Watch video 01:39 Share Russia's messaging app Telegram is being blocked Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2w1pd Russia's messaging app Telegram is being blocked

'Against the establishment'?

"Considering various complaints against the Telegram social networking app by Iranian citizens and based on the demand of security organizations to confront the illegal activities of Telegram, the judiciary has banned its usage in Iran," state television reported when announcing the decision on Monday.

Mizan, the website of Iran's judiciary, reported that authorities had ordered the app's shutdown for actions that "included propaganda against the establishment, terrorist activities, spreading lies to incite public opinion, anti-government protests and pornography."

Telegram had just been returned to Iran and several other countries after servers in the company's home base of Dubai overheated at the weekend: "The service is now restored for most of Europe, Africa, Russia and CIS," Telegram's social media team wrote on Twitter Sunday, referring to the Commonwealth of Independent States, "Iran and Middle East coming soon."

Read more:Iran unblocks Telegram messenger service shut down during countrywide protests

Possibly preemptive measure: Media speculate that authorities finalized their ban on the service ahead of the May 12 deadline for US President Donald Trump to decide whether he will renew sanctions relief for Iran in accord with the 2015 multination deal reached by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Should Trump refuse, the effects on the domestic economy could see Iranians take to the streets to protest their government all over again.

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Fits a pattern

Iran is also currently at the center of several regional disputes, having engaged Middle East rivals by proxy in the civil wars in Yemen and Syria, in addition to attempting to providing a stabilizing role in Iraq.

The order by Iran's judiciary came as people have taken to the streets in Russia to protest a block on the Telegram service there and even the leaders of states less frequently described as rogue have set their sights on putting an end to encrypted user-to-user communications.

Read more: UK's Rudd launches attack on messaging app encryption

The domestic alternative

Officials have encouraged Iranians to use domestic alternatives to Telegram in advance of the ban, including the new Soroush app. However, many people fear that the security services may have built spying capabilities into such apps and have proved reluctant to use them.

Read more: Brief WhatsApp ban in Brazil sends users scrambling for alternatives

At rallies Monday, Russians demanded their Telegram back — and a free internet, too

mkg/rt (Reuters, AP)

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