Iran shuts down social media as two die in protests 12/31/2017 5:05:43 PM An Iranian woman defiantly raises her fist amid the smoke from tear gas during a protest at the University of Tehran over economic problems on December 30 FRANCE 24, December 31, 2017 -- Iran blocked access to Instagram and the encrypted messaging app Telegram on Sunday as authorities said two demonstrators were killed overnight, the first deaths in the largest demonstrations Iran has seen since a disputed 2009 election. Iran on Sunday blocked access to Instagram and a popular messaging app used by activists to organize and publicize the protests now roiling the Islamic Republic, as authorities said two demonstrators had been killed overnight in the first deaths attributed to the rallies. The demonstrations, which began Thursday over the economic woes plaguing Iran and continued Sunday, appear to be the largest to strike the Islamic Republic since the protests that ...