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Iran Restricts Access to Instagram as Protests Intensify

A woman holds a a photo of Iranian Mahsa Amini during a protest against her death, outside Iran's general consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. (AP)
A woman holds a a photo of Iranian Mahsa Amini during a protest against her death, outside Iran's general consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. (AP)
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Iran Restricts Access to Instagram as Protests Intensify

A woman holds a a photo of Iranian Mahsa Amini during a protest against her death, outside Iran's general consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. (AP)
A woman holds a a photo of Iranian Mahsa Amini during a protest against her death, outside Iran's general consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. (AP)

Iran has restricted access to Meta Platforms Inc's Instagram, one of the last remaining social media platforms in the country, amid protests over the death of a woman in police custody, internet shutdown observatory NetBlocks said.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for "unsuitable attire", last week has unleashed simmering anger over issues including freedom in the country and an economy reeling from sanctions.

London-based NetBlocks' data shows a near-total disruption to internet service in parts of Kurdistan province in west Iran since Monday, while the capital city of Tehran and other parts of the country have also faced disruptions since Friday when protests first broke out.

Protests have been particularly intense in Kurdistan where Iran's Revolutionary Guards has a history of suppressing unrest.

Iran's minister of communications said earlier on Wednesday he had been misquoted after news outlets cited him as saying the authorities might disrupt internet services for security reasons.

Social media websites such as TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are routinely blocked in parts of the country, which has some of the strictest internet controls in the world. But tech-savvy residents bypass curbs using virtual private networks (VPNs).

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Taiwan on Alert over China's Military Activities in Pacific

Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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Taiwan on Alert over China's Military Activities in Pacific

Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Thursday ordered defense and security units to step up their monitoring and intelligence efforts in response to China's military activities, which he said have not abated even as tensions rise in the Middle East. Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has, along with Japan, been tracking the movement of two Chinese aircraft carriers conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time, Reuters reported.

Lai, in a statement released by his office after meeting with defense officials, said the conflict between Israel and Iran has led to a "chain of global security challenges."

"From the perspective of our country and even the Indo-Pacific region, it is worth paying special attention to the fact that China's military pressure in the entire region of the first and second island chains has not slowed due to the situation in the Middle East," he said.

"The actions of the two aircraft carrier groups of the Shandong and Liaoning in the relevant waters of the first and second island chains in the past few days have posed considerable risks for the Indo-Pacific region and have aroused the heightened concern of the international community."

The first island chain refers to an area that runs from Japan southeast to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Borneo, while the second island chain spreads further out into the Pacific to include places such as the U.S. territory of Guam.

Lai said he had asked the defense and security teams to strengthen their monitoring of regional developments and enhance their "intelligence gathering and research capabilities."

At the same time, Taiwan should maintain close coordination with its "friends" to ensure a swift response to any "emergencies," he added.

China's Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment outside of office hours.

China's navy, which has been honing its abilities to operate farther from the country's coast, said last week the carrier operations were "routine training" exercises that did not target specific countries or regions. China operates two carriers, with a third undergoing sea trials.