Police Close Down 400 Internet Cafes in Tehran
Iranian police have shuttered more than 400 Internet cafes in Tehran, the capital, demanding that the owners obtain licenses to stay in business, newspapers and cafe owners said.
Owners said telecommunications authorities had banned the use of Internet sites offering cheap telephone connections to relatives abroad, citing a state monopoly on long-distance calls.
There are about 1,500 Internet cafes in Tehran, with more in other major cities. The cafes are popular with the overwhelmingly youthful population in the Islamic Republic.
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