The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has released a statement banning all Iranian media from publishing any advertisements about pets or pet-related products in response to a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi.

According to Advertisement and Information Dissemination Office Director Alireza Karimi, publishing any ad about keeping, buying or selling pets is now forbidden. In addition, ads promoting petfood and shops selling pet accessories, especially for cats and dogs, have been banned. Shirazi has declared dogs to be "unclean" based on shariah, a Koran-derived law.