Mobile phone users in Iran have been briefly able to make international calls days after authorities imposed sweeping communication restrictions during nationwide protests.

Several people in Tehran were able to contact The Associated Press news agency and speak to a journalist outside the country, although the news agency said its bureau in Dubai was unable to return calls to those numbers.

Iranians reported text messaging services remained down and access to the internet is still cut off from the outside world.

Iranian authorities shut down the internet and blocked international calls on Thursday as protests intensified across the country.