Iran’s Culture Ministry, which had announced that it planned to shut down news websites operating without a license, is now accused of targeting only conservative sites critical of the Hassan Rouhani administration while allowing Reformist news sites and those supportive of the administration to continue to operate without a license.

Hossein Entezami, Iran’s Culture Ministry’s deputy for media affairs, announced Sept. 5, “According to Article 7 of the media laws, news websites without a license from the Press Supervisory Board would be closed and the directors of the sites would be referred to the appropriate judiciary authority.”

Entezami said that more than 230 news agencies and websites in Iran are operating with licenses and that the Culture Ministry would deal with those applying for licenses for the first time “without prejudice.” He said the measure was being taken to prevent “professionally unethical” work that “undermines the trust of journalists,” such as reports that include “insults, accusations and invasion of privacy.”

However, as Entezami announced the closing of certain websites with “tens more” to come, even asking citizens to report any websites operating without a license, conservative officials have accused the ministry of targeting only conservative websites so far.