Iranian women on TV banned from eating pizza because it's too provocative

Iranian authorities in recent weeks released broadcasting guidelines that ban women from eating pizzas and sandwiches on-screen under new rules set by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

The latest wave of censorship rules banned TV producers in the Islamic Republic from showing women eating certain foods and wearing leather gloves on screen, as per new guidelines to broadcasters and filmmakers, following a recent audit.

They must also not wear leather gloves or drink red beverages, while men should not be shown serving women tea in scenes involving a workplace, according to opposition website IranWire.

Amir Hossein Shamshadi, the head of PR at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, issued the ruling on 27 September to ensure there are no "immoral" innuendos on Iranian screens.

Scenes or photographs showing men and women in a domestic setting will have to be cleared by the IRIB before broadcast, the ruling added.

The censorship of women comes under the pretext of state-imposed modesty that polices their daily lives in Iran.

Wearing the hijab and modest clothing became mandatory for women in Iran following the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Women have regularly been targeted by the state's morality police, known as the Gasht-e Ershad, for showing hair in public or for "improperly" wearing the hijab.