Apple removes Iranian apps from the Apple App Store

Apple has removed several Iranian apps from international Apple App Stores, saying the move is in line with U.S. sanctions against the country, reports The New York Times. 

Apple has no official presence in the country. Because of American sanctions against Iran, iPhones are not legally available for sale there, and there’s no Iranian version of the Apple App Store. 

However, that hasn’t stopped the sale of “millions” of iPhones smuggled in from places like Dubai and Hong Kong, reports the NYT. And Iranian app developers have created “thousands” of apps for local users and offering them through App Stores outside Iran, the article adds. 

However, in a message to Iranian developers whose apps were affected by the new ban, Apple said: “Under the U.S. sanctions regulations, the App Store cannot host, distribute or do business with apps or developers connected to certain U.S. embargoed countries.”