Iran's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? has been banned from TV screens after clerics issued a fatwa against game shows that offer cash as prizes.

Conservative religious leaders in the Islamic republic claimed the game show 'undermined the culture of hard work' in the country.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, warned game shows endangered Iran's 'culture of hard work and productivity', according to local media reports.

Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi issued the fatwa this week against the game show 'Barande Bash', which translates to 'Be the Winner' in English, saying it was a form of gambling, which is forbidden under Islamic law.

The Iranian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, called Be the Winner, hosted by actor Mohammad Reza Golzar (pictured)

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said game shows endangered Iran's 'culture of hard work and productivity'

Makarem-Shirazi's fatwa targets other game shows that offer cash rewards to viewers and contestants and added that 'games of chance' were not allowed.

Hosted by actor, singer and model Mohammad Reza Golzar, the show gave participants the chance to win up to 1bn Iranian rials (£19,356) - significantly less than its America and British multi-million pound counterparts.

Viewers can also win money by taking part at home via an app linked to the show.

The programme has reportedly been a huge success for the broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), which has seen high ratings for the game show, first aired in the UK in 1998.

Be the Winner gave contestants the chance to win up to 1bn Iranian rials (£19,356) and saw viewers take part as well

Conservative media in Iran accused the IRIB of airing 'a halal casino' and echoed Ali Khamenei's 2004 anti-gambling declaration.

Be the Winner's producers responded to the furore in the county's media by saying in a statement that 'the assumptions presented in the question for the fatwa was wrong', but did not give any specific details.

Other Western-style game shows have also been banned including one called Five Stars, which followed a similar format to Be the Winner, according to the BBC.

Earlier this year Tehran's chief of police Hossein Rahimi said dogs were banned from public places and riding in cars because they cause 'panic and anxiety'.

Iran has a long history of cracking down on activists and imprisoning opponents to the regime.