Google users in Iran report problems, as rallies loom

Google says its e-mail traffic in Iran has dropped sharply, amid reports access is being restricted for the Islamic Revolution's anniversary.

The web giant said that the decline had happened even though its networks were working properly.
Opposition websites have urged major demonstrations on the most important day of the nation's political calendar.
Iran's police chief said that some activists had been arrested as they prepared for protests.
Google said users of its Gmail had experienced difficulties following a newspaper report about official restrictions.
'Permanent suspension'
"Whenever we encounter blocks in our services we try to resolve them as quickly as possible," the California-based company said in a statement.

We are closely watching the activities of the sedition movement and several people preparing to disrupt the rallies were arrested Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam Police chief More sanctions on way for Iran?

"Sadly, sometimes it is not within our control."
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran's telecommunications agency had announced "a permanent suspension of Google Inc's e-mail services".
Washington - which on Wednesday extended sanctions against Tehran - said any efforts to keep information from Iranians would fail.
US state department spokesman PJ Crowley said: "Virtual walls won't work in the 21st century any better than physical walls worked in the 20th century."
The 31st anniversary of the revolution could see protests from opposition supporters who say last June's re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was rigged.
Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have called on their supporters to rally on Thursday.
Anti-government websites have urged marchers to display green emblems or clothes - the colour adopted by the opposition movement after the disputed election.
Fatal violence erupted after the poll, and sporadically since then.
The micro-blogging site Twitter and other social networking sites were used extensively during the post-election protests.
Tehran rally
Official events will be held across Iran but the main gathering will be at Tehran's Azadi square, where President Ahmadinejad is expected to speak.

Opposition supporters have been urged to wear green as they did last June

Anti-government websites have urged their supporters to attend the rally too, raising the possibility of a confrontation.
Ahead of the commemorations, police chief Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam said the Revolutionary Guards and Basij Islamic militia were ready for any trouble.
"We are fully prepared for holding a safe and glorious rally," he told Fars news agency, according to Reuters news agency.
"We are closely watching the activities of the sedition movement and several people who were preparing to disrupt the 11 February rallies were arrested," he said.
The anniversary comes a day after the US extended Iranian sanctions, aimed at the Revolutionary Guards.
The US Treasury will freeze the assets of a senior Guard commander, as well as four subsidiaries of a construction company he runs.
The move follows the announcement by Iran of its decision to further enrich uranium for its nuclear programme.
Tehran insists it is a civilian energy programme, but the West suspects it of trying to develop nuclear weapons.

@'BBC'