Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance

The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance (Persian: وزارت فرهنگ و ارشاد اسلامی‎‎ also known as Ershad ارشاد) is the ministry of Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is responsible for restricting access to any media of which the government in Tehran does not approve.

For the importation and exportation of motion picture, cinematographic and television films, audio tapes, phonographic discs, books and other publications, brochures, pamphlets, commercial advertisement products, business catalogues, pictures, gravures, paintings, tableaux, etc., licenses are required to be obtained from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. In addition, the ministry is one of the governmental bodies that are responsible for exporting the Islamic revolution and one of the three "sovereign" ministerial bodies of Iran due to nature of its work at home and abroad.