TEHRAN, May 5 (UPI) -- Iran reportedly has blocked the WhatsApp messaging service because it is owned by "American Zionist" Mark Zuckerberg, who was raised Jewish.
According to the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, the ban was announced by secretary of the Committee for Determining Criminal Web Content, Abdolsamad Khorramabadi who was quoted as saying, "the reason for this is the adoption of WhatsApp by the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is an American Zionist."
There seems to be a lack of government solidarity behind the ban. Communications Minister Mahmoud Mehr told the state news agency IRNA that the government in no way supports the ban.
Facebook and Twitter have been banned in Iran since 2009 after people protesting former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election organized using social media platforms.
Facebook purchased the app two months ago and has not commented on the reported ban.
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