Many countries are still patiently awaiting the arrival of Pokemon GO. That probably includes a decent portion of the Iranian population. Unfortunately, as of now, Niantic’s record breaking app is entirely banned from the country.

The issue, according to the head of Iran’s supreme council of virtual space Abolhasan Firouzabadi, is that a game like Pokemon GO would need specific permission to release there. Niantic has not gone through their official channels to ensure this happens. Of course, there is also the paranoid fear that Pokemon GO may be a form of espionage in disguise. Those words were not specifically said, but there is a security concern on behalf of the Iranian government. And they’re not alone in such concerns.