Iran’s authorities have fully unblocked access to Telegram messenger following a ban imposed amid anti-government protests.

Axar.az reports citing the Fars news agency

Access to Instagram and Telegram social networks has been opened for users after the lifting of temporary restrictions introduced upon the decision of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on December 31, the report said.

Earlier Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi threatened to fully block the messenger unless "terrorist channels" were closed.

The anti-government protests broke out on December 28 in Iran’s second largest city of Mashhad, initially against price rises, and later expanded to other provinces. At least 20 people were killed in clashes with the police. More than 450 protesters were arrested.

On January 3, Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, announced that the unrest in the republic was over and the rebels were defeated. The riots across the country involved no more than 15,000 people, he said.