IRANIAN authorities blocked internet access on January 14, with pressure continuing to mount on the theocratic regime as student protests calling for a new revolution swept the country.
According to the internet-tracking organisation NetBlocks, Iran experienced an outage at 5.25pm local time with 鈥渉igh impact to almost all providers鈥 for a duration of 10 minutes.
The government was previously accused of blocking the internet as security services moved against protesters during demonstrations in November.
Some reports claim that unnamed government officials admitted that at least 1500 people were killed during those huge anti-government protests.
Authorities opened fire on crowds with tear gas and live bullets as protests swelled in anger at the government鈥檚 admission it shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet on January 8, killing all 176 on board.
Iran鈥檚 Judiciary spokesperson, Gholamhossein Esmaili, said 鈥渟ome individuals鈥 had been arrested regarding the incident after 鈥渆xtensive investigations鈥.
His statement did not say how many people had been detained nor name those arrested, and failed to quell anti-government protests which took place in several universities across the country.
Students at Tehran University clashed with security forces as they locked them in to prevent them marching on the streets.
Crowds branded Ayatollah Khameini 鈥渁 disgrace鈥 at a campus gathering.
In a defiant moment they pressed demands for regime change and the overthrow of the Iranian theocracy.
鈥淔rom Iran to Baghdad, poverty, cruelty and tyranny. From Tehran to Baghdad we want revolution.鈥
鈥淲hether November or January, the message is revolution. Whether November or January, we will fight on the streets,鈥 they chanted.
Students also chanted 鈥淲e鈥檒l fight back鈥 and 鈥淥ur hands are empty, put your batons away鈥 as they tried to force their way out.
Cries of 鈥淒eath to the dictator鈥 and 鈥淒eath to Khamenei鈥 where heard coming from a group that made it onto the streets.
At Beheshti University students rallied against a regime-organised gathering and took aim at the Basij 鈥 an auxiliary force of the Revolutionary Guard, used to suppress dissident gatherings.
鈥淏asiji you should be ashamed 鈥 Where has all the oil money gone? It鈥檚 been used for the Basij!鈥 they chanted.
A protest at Amirkabir University heard students chant 鈥測ou are our Isis鈥, addressing the regime and Basij forces.
Some are suggesting the Ukrainian plane incident could be a comparable moment to the 1978 Cinema Rex fire in a working-class district of Abadan, which was blamed on the Shah and is credited for setting in motion the 1979 revolution.
[Abridged from online.]