Iran Vows to Legally Pursue Apple’s Removal of Iranian Apps

Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi, the 36-year-old Iranian Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has reacted to the omission of Iranian applications from the App Store by the Apple Inc.

“Apple holds 11% of Iran’s mobile phone market. Today, respecting the rights of consumers is a principle which Apple has violated. We’ll pursue the removal of [Iranian] apps,” said Azari Jahromi on his Twitter page.

According to official reports by Apple and information provided by some domestic sources, the company has shut down some of the popular applications developed by Iranians on App Store due to the US sanctions.

In a message to Iranian developers whose apps were affected by the ban, Apple said, “Under the US sanctions regulations, the App Store cannot host, distribute or do business with apps or developers connected to certain US embargoed countries.”

In reaction to Apple’s message, Azari Jahromi said the company’s response is not precise. He said some of the deleted apps were not associated with financial transactions, and some were registered in countries other than Iran due to sanctions.

The applications removed from App Store include the popular ride-hailing application Snapp as well as online shopping services Digikala and Takhfifian, among others.