Is homosexuality legal in Iran?
Death penalty possible
Same-sex sexual activity is a criminal offence that can carry the death penalty.
Iran is one of 10 countries classified “Death penalty possible” for same-sex sexual activity — 4% of the 226 with data. (Also searched as homosexuality.)
Source
- Last checked
- 15 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read directly from the source’s own table, without interpretation.
Nearby countries
- Kuwait
- Illegal Same-sex sexual activity is a criminal offence.
- Turkmenistan
- Illegal Same-sex sexual activity is a criminal offence.
- Iraq
- Illegal Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Iraq with prison sentences of 10 to 15 years.
- Bahrain
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Azerbaijan
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Qatar
- Death penalty possible Same-sex sexual activity is a criminal offence that can carry the death penalty.
Other laws in Iran
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized
- Age of Consent
- 14–15
- Sex Work
- Illegal
- Pornography
- Illegal
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Not permitted
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.