Old school SMS becomes lifeline as Iran blocks roaming, WhatsApp amid escalating tensions, says Malaysia's ambassador
SEPANG, June 23 — As tensions in Iran escalated following Israel's retaliatory strikes, residents in the country were forced to rely on the old-school Short Message Service (SMS) to stay in touch with family members and relevant parties.
Malaysia's Ambassador to Iran, Khairi Omar, said roaming services in the country, including WhatsApp, are currently blocked.
'In Iran, SMS communication is still open between local Iranian numbers. Domestically, people can still stay in touch. However, if we try to call an Iranian number from here, it won't go through, as roaming services have been shut down. But calls from Iran to outside the country are still possible. So, we've resorted to the old-fashioned way, text messages, which not many people use anymore.
'WhatsApp messages and similar platforms were completely inaccessible, though I believe some access is gradually returning, but still tightly controlled to ensure that sensitive information related to security issues isn't leaked,' he spoke to reporters last night.
He arrived from Iran with a group of 24 individuals, comprising 17 Malaysians, six Iranian dependents of Malaysian citizens, and one Singaporean.
Khairi said the situation in Iran was volatile, with both foreign nationals and locals equally shocked by the severity of the attack, which he described as drastic.
'After a day or two, we began to observe a pattern in the attacks. They were more intense at night, while during the day, it seemed as though both sides had come to a mutual understanding to scale back the assaults.
'As we all know, they already identified the targets, and if one side launched a strike on certain facilities, the other side would respond. But we were always on high alert because if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, you could easily find yourself in a situation you definitely wouldn't want to be in,' he said.
The government ordered the temporary closure of the Malaysian Embassy in Iran, instructing all embassy personnel in the country to return home immediately.
Meanwhile, a trader, Fadhil Yusni, 33, expressed his gratitude at being reunited with his wife, Zainab Ganood, an Iranian national who was visiting her parents.
'I panicked because I couldn't reach my wife. Alhamdulillah, tonight I feel grateful. Thank you to the government and the Foreign Ministry for evacuating my wife out of Iran,' he said, adding that he is now finding the best way to help his wife's family leave the conflict-stricken country safely.
Tensions erupted on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several locations across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to retaliate. — Bernama
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