The state-owned Iranian newspaper Khorshid will close due to government plans to cut costs, according to the country's official news agency, IRNA, AFP reported Monday.

The newspaper closes months before the country's presidential elections, scheduled for June 12, which has put an end to criticism that the "pro-government" newspaper would be an advantage in the election campaign of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has yet to make his candidacy official, according to the AFP report, posted by Asia One.

In his Persian New Year message, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on government to reduce costs is response to the global recession. The closure of Khorshid, which launched last October, is the result of government's attempts at financial cutbacks, he said.

A wave of closures in the media, including newspapers and online news sites, has marked Ahmadinejad's presidential term.