On Friday, Iran officially became the first nation to ban Pokemon Go, the dizzyingly popular mobile phone app game that has taken the world by storm in recent months. Some countries, like Indonesia, have placed partial bans on the use of Pokemon Go.

Pokemon Go uses augmented reality technology. It combines a real world map and superimposes virtual cartoon images in the cameras of mobile phones. Players walk around hunting for Pokemon, short for Pocket Monsters. When they appear on their phone's screen, players can catch them, train them and battle other monsters.

Abdolsamad Khoramabadi, general secretary of the regime's Internet Supervisory and Monitoring of Iran Committee, said in an interview with the state-run Tasnim News Agency that Pokemon Go was banned by a unanimous decision of committee members.

The Internet committee – also known as the High Council of Virtual Space - supervises online activities in Iran and is directed by the Iranian attorney general. Khoramabadi said national security concerns accounted for the ban, adding, "It might also endanger the security and safety of citizens."