Iran has launched an Islamic dating app aimed at providing “lasting and informed marriages” for its youth.

The state-run television station said on Monday that the service, called Hamdam (“partner” in Persian), allows users to “find and choose their spouse.”

According to Colonel Ali Mohammed Rajabi, the chief of Iran’s cyberspace police, this is the only platform of this type that has been approved by the State in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Although dating apps are popular in Iran, Rajabi said that all platforms except Hamdam are illegal.

Hamdam’s website was developed by the Tebyan Cultural Institute, part of the Islamic Propaganda Organization of Iran, claiming that it uses “artificial intelligence” to find matches “only for bachelors seeking permanent marriages and single spouses”.

‘Demon’s goal’

Komeil Khojasteh, head of Tebyan, said at the unveiling ceremony that family values ??are threatened by external forces.

“The family is the target of the devil, and [Iran’s enemies] Trying to impose their own ideas on it, he said, adding that the app helps create “healthy” families.

According to Hamdam’s website, users must verify their identity and pass a “psychological test” before browsing.

When the pairing is successful, the app will “introduce the family with the presence of a service consultant” and they will “accompany” the couple for four years after marriage.

The website stated that because Hamdam has an “independent income model”, registration is free, but it did not explain further.

birth rate decreases

Iranian authorities, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly warned the country of rising marriage age and falling birth rate.

In March, Iran’s conservative-led parliament passed a bill called “population growth and family support.”

It requires the government to provide significant financial incentives for marriages, encourage people to have more than two children, and limit abortion opportunities.

The law is awaiting approval from the Guardianship Council, whose task is to check whether the bill complies with Islamic law and the Constitution.