Khamenei Says Children's Toys Constitute ‘Cultural Invasion’

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has branded children's toys a 'cultural invasion' as the reach of Iran's theocratic dictatorship deepens further.

Khamenei has declared the toy industry as "future-making," arguing that foreign toys do not conform to Iranian culture and suggesting that even children's playthings can be tools of Western influence.

Mohammad Mehdi Baradaran, Deputy Minister of Industry, revealed Sunday that despite a reduction in the smuggling of foreign toys amid the regime's crackdown, to less than half of previous levels, Khamenei continues to express concerns over their presence in Iran.

It is yet another example of the regime's intrusion into the country's private lives, which extends from internet bans and dress codes, to children's entertainment. Dolls such as Barbie have been blacklisted.

Over the years, Iran has unofficially banned a range of things from unveiled mannequins to wearing Western neck ties in court or government offices.

Meanwhile, as the focus remains on controlling the country's citizens, the regime remains locked in the worst economic crisis since the founding of the Islamic Republic and at the heart of the Middle East's most turbulent times for decades.