Hardliners in Iran are calling for the banning of the Iranian popular actor Bahram Radan, after he welcomed legalization of gay marriage on his personal twitter account.

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage is an historical event, it may be as significant as the abolition of slavery. From Lincoln to Obama... ” Radan tweeted in Persian.

Many Persian speakers retweeted his words, even though Radan deleted the tweet after a few hours. Some Iranians supported his statement, others criticized him.

In an article published yesterday, Keyhan Newspaper, one of the most conservative media in Iran, demanded the Iranian authorities to prohibit Radan from acting. The article also called for prosecution.

Radan subsequently wrote a letter apologizing to Keyhan. He emphasized that he is interested in cultural and political issues in the U.S. and is aware that gay marriage is not acceptable in Iranian culture, society and religion.

In a telling move, Radan posted the above picture of himself on his Instagram account.