"According to the law, if the satellite receivers are visible in houses, the equipment will be seized and the offenders referred to the judiciary," he told the ISNA news agency.

Iranians can receive signals from more than 20 opposition-run satellite channels mainly based in the United States, while the Islamic regime tries to jam the signals.

Satellite television is deemed "decadent" and is banned in Iran but police raids and fines have not stopped dishes springing up like mushrooms on the roofs of homes in the country's bigger cities.

Iran's conservative-dominated parliament is currently mulling a bill which would impose more severe punishments on offenders, such as a fine up to 50 million rials (about 5,500 dollars).

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