MNA – Secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace Abolhassan Firouzabadi said Apple’s ban on Iranian-developed apps is a ‘political’ decision, saying the import of Apple products is not in the country’s interest.

The iOS versions of the mobile apps developed in Iran, such as Iranian banks, online payment firms as well as ride-hailing and food delivery services, are no longer accessible to the users of Apple products since February 27.

Speaking to Mehr News correspondent about the issue, Secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace Abolhassan Firouzabadi said the use of Apple products in Iran should be managed.

He said the value of the imports of Apple products to Iran stood at about $2 billion last year.

“Given the fact that Apple products have much cheaper, and good foreign alternatives, their import is definitely not in the interest of the country,” he stressed.

Firouzabadi called on the government to create restrictions on the import of Apple products to Iran, if Apple continues to ignore the rights of the Iranian citizens who have purchased its products.

He then noted the considerable drop in the purchase of Apple products by Iranians, saying the reason may have been the recent sharp hike in the value of dollar.

“We have to accept that in the current situation, and given Apple’s restrictions on Iranians’ access to its services, it is not reasonable to buy Apple products,” he added.

Firouzabadi went on to stress that he considers the Apple’s ban a political move, “because it was an organized measure, and not at all something that would be normally taken by a company.”