Iran has launched its first official matchmaking website. According to officials, the aim of the website is to encourage singles to marry rather than it being a dating forum.
Applicants are then matched in accordance to their age, education, wealth and family background.
The Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mahmoud Golzari said in a ceremony launching the site: “We have high demand for marriage and 11 million bachelors who are increasing every day,”
“This is a significant issue for the ruling system.
“The matchmaking website you are seeing today is not a website for introducing boys and girls to each other.
“Our Islamic and Iranian culture does not approve of long-term relationships out of wedlock.”
Extra-marital relations are severely punished in Iran.
An increasing number of Iranians have resorted to utilising temporary marriages to facilitate their lives. These can last from a few hours to several weeks and come with official religious approval.
However, the state-run matchmaking website hopes to restore traditional marriages.
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