New York Times journalist Farnaz Fassihi also tweeted a screenshot of Google Maps depicting Tehran's traffic jams. Iranian Internet access was curbed this week by order of a state security council, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported, an attempt apparently aimed at preventing protesters from communicating with each other and sharing video on social media. Internet watchdog NetBlocks said on Sunday that connectivity had fallen to just 5% of ordinary levels.#IranProtests Day 3: Video from Shiraz from Saturday. Internet & phone apps are blocked today, making it hard for people to send us videos. pic.twitter.com/hcqo7lAasE
— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) November 17, 2019
The move was condemned by US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus. According to a 2018 report by Calcalist, Tehran authorities have attempted to block the use of Waze in Iran in the past, claiming that the app, which was acquired by Google in 2013, was developed by Israeli intelligence services. At the end of October, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that following tighter US sanctions, Iran was expected to have a fiscal deficit of 4.5% this year and 5.1% next year. In announcing the rise in gasoline prices, the Iranian government said that the decision was intended to raise around $2.55 billion a year for extra subsidies to 18 million families - or roughly 60 million Iranians on low incomes. According to the NYT, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also said that Iran faced a deficit amounting to nearly two-thirds of its annual $45 billion budget. On Monday, Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned anti-government protesters of "decisive" action if unrest does not cease. Reuters contributed to this report.#TehranProtests Day 3: Google map of Tehran showing nearly all major roads blocked. pic.twitter.com/er8gvmaSQY
— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) November 17, 2019