League of Legends is currently banned in both Iran and Syria. This is due to growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran (Syria is a key ally of Iran, which is why it’s affected too).
When attempting to log in, players in Iran and Syria are met with this message: “Due to U.S. laws and regulations, players in your country cannot access League of Legends at this time. Such restrictions are subject to change by the U.S. government, so if and when that happens, we will look forward to having you back on the rift.”
Trump recently imposed trade sanctions on Iran, detailing that businesses from that country cannot currently trade with the United States. League of Legends, like most free games, has microtransactions which falls into the trade category. Therefore, it has to abide by these restrictions.
Unsurprisingly, Iranian and Syrian players are finding ways around the ban, such as using a VPN, but it is proving tricky for some since VPNs in those areas can be expensive.
[Source: Dot Esports]
Source: Game Informer U.S. Government Bans League Of Legends In Iran And Syria