The armed forces of Iran has issued a statement stating the breaking of cultural norms in the country has become a national security threat and that they are ready to take action on the matter. The statement, which was mailed to news agencies, reflects a growing concern of conservative officials over the direction of President Hassan Rouhani’s cultural policies.

Culture Minister Ali Jannati has been engaged in a series of public disputes with conservative officials over his promotion of a more lax cultural policy, especially in regard to Internet censorship. The most recent comment came from Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, who leads the hard-line Endurance Front.

During a speech at the office of the supreme leader in Qom July 11, Mesbah Yazdi said, “Those who take religion as a toy and entertainment and in the name of religion do ineffectual things have been deceived by the world.”

Indirectly addressing Jannati, Mesbah Yazdi continued, “An official some time ago said that ‘The development of culture needs freedom and with filtering websites one cannot develop culture.’ On this, the supreme leader said sometime after the new year [late March], ‘You cannot make everything suitable with the excuse of freedom.’”