The Iranian government has ordered the country's leading reformist daily newspaper to shut down Monday, less than three months after it was allowed to begin publishing again.

Although the government said it closed Shargh, which means “East,” for interviewing a poet who disputes Islamic views on relationships between men and women, Shargh's editor said it was an excuse to silence one of the few reformist outlets remaining in Iran.

“Publication of an interview is not a plausible justification for banning a newspaper,” said Ahmad Gholami, the Shargh's editor, adding that it is the most vocal reformist newspaper in the country.

The Iranian government said Shargh crossed the line by publishing the interview.

“An interview with an anti-revolutionary figure, who is famous for promoting anti-morality materials, is the main reason behind the closure of the paper,” Ali Reza Malekian, a culture ministry official, is quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency and The Hindu.

The paper intended to pacify the public anger by publishing a front-page apology Monday after removing the offending article online.

Shargh has been shut down twice in less than year. It reopened in May after a long closed season since last autumn, because of official disapproval over the composition of its editorial team. However, many believed the real reason was a donkey cartoon character, which was believed to symbolise President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to the Guardian.