In the latest roll-out of countries to finally access Pokémon Go, Iran has officially ruled it out for app and/or play use. The nation's High Council of Virtual Spaces has banned the app over security issues, making it the very first country to do so.

The actual reason however, wasn’t specified, as the council did not go further and elaborate on what exactly the security issue is. Despite the ban, there have been quite a few speculations as to why Iran may have banned the nostalgic app in the first place. Pokémon Go users have become more creative (and in some ways invasive) on catching the virtual monsters. In fact, there’s been a class-action lawsuit filed in the United States.

It could be that Iran wants to prevent people from hanging around areas that are designated in the game as “Pokéstops”. Pokéstops are determined by GPS location, which can be set off by in-game lure modules that attract Pokemon to that area. Or possibly the fact that some Pokémon Go players have reported being assaulted or robbed in certain places. As a result, many places have taken action towards cracking down on violence towards game players. New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced that sex-offenders who download and play the app will be considered in violation of their parole.

Talks about banning the game in Iran surfaced as early as last month, while in talks with Niantic, Pokémon Go’s developer in regards to restricting certain game aspects. This may have begun a slight chain reaction as officials in Singapore are also taking a look to see how the game will affect natives and their daily lives.