Iran just launched its own video-sharing Web site, similar to YouTube, in the nation’s continued attempt to hinder cyber speech and create government-sanctioned alternatives.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Web page says the new site—Mehr, the Farsi word for affection—will promote Iranian and Islamic culture and artists. It is not yet clear how much the government will monitor or censor www.mehr.ir.

The Iranian government blocks residents from accessing Web sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, claiming that Western bloggers are waging a “soft war” against the Islamic Republic. Google’s YouTube, for example, has been banned since 2009, following protests after President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad was re-elected. Iran also hopes to create its own Internet space, scrubbed clean of Western influence.

Although Iran has instituted video filters blocking Western social media sites, many Iranians use Virtual Private Networks, VPNs, which are banned in the country—to access the pages. Still, the lack of high-speed internet makes any type of video streaming difficult.

Another Iranian online video channel, Aparat, has been popular for the last couple of years, and is now the 13th most popular site in the nation, according to Web state provider Alexa. The site abides by local laws governing its content, but has a growing list of international sponsors.

[Image via Mehr.IR]