DENIAL: Iran’s mobile phone companies have denied blocking text messages with the words “dollar” and “arz,” or “currency” in Farsi, after the Iranian rial rapidly weakened.
THE SPECULATION: Cellphone users had complained that messages containing such words were not being delivered. That triggered speculation the government was ordering the messages blocked.
ABOUT THE RIAL: It has fallen by about 40 percent against the dollar since December 2010 and has come under more pressure since the United States announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s central bank.
