According to data from anonymous sources within Iran's Department of Telecommunications, the shutdown could be extended if the security service deems it necessary.

Netblock.org, which monitors network security, writes that the organization has seen a decline in the use of mobile networks in Iran on Wednesday morning.

But a spokesman for the Ministry of Communications denied that orders had been made to shut down the network.

“No such order has been sent by authorities. Fake news, ”Jamal Hadian wrote on Twitter, which is blocked in Iran.

Groups call for protests

The shutdown comes after opposition groups in exile called for protests on Thursday. Protesters are expected to note that 40 days have passed since the Iranian state cracked down on demonstrations in November as a result of gasoline-fueled prices.

Relatives of Pouya Bakhtiari, who was killed during the protests in November, have also via social media urged people to gather in the city of Karaj, to attend a ceremony for their relative. This has led to relatives of him now being jailed, according to the Iranian news agency Mehr . What relatives are involved is not clear. But Pouya Bakhiari's father has spoken on social media earlier about how government officials have tried to pressure the family not to hold a memorial ceremony. According to the authorities4 that they could not guarantee the safety of a large crowd.

At least 300 dead

According to Amnesty, more than 300 people were killed during the protests in November. Although the Iranian state has admitted that people were killed during the unrest, no official figure has been announced. According to Reuters, which cites a source within the Department of the Interior, 1,500 people were killed, but that is a task denied by the state.

This is the second time in a short time that the network is switching off in Iran. During the November protests, the Iranian state shut down the internet for over a week, reports the AP.

According to ILNA, the network connection has been shut down in the provinces of Kurdistan, Alborz and Zanjan and in the city of Shiraz, areas where many people demonstrated in November.