Iran has said that they may ban the import of some Samsung products to the country and end political ties with South Korea entirely over an ad produced by an Israeli television company used to promote an offer for Samsung tablets to their subscribers. The ad, made for TV company, Hot, depicts bumbling characters from popular TV show Asfur arriving in Iran dressed as women and accidentally blowing up an Iranian nuclear power station using a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 owned by a bored Mossad agent.
Samsung has already moved into damage control mode in the Middle East after the ad caused, with their Dubai office condemning the ad, after the Iranian parliament said in an official statement that they thought it was “insulting” and described Iran as a “primitive society” and the emergence of Facebook and Twitter comments complaining about its depiction of the country.
Whilst Samsung has apologised to Iran, there is little more the company can do at this point as it is stuck in the middle of escalating tensions between Iran and Israel after the recent unexplained deaths of Iranian nuclear scientists – with the HOT ad making fun of Iran’s nuclear security.
[via Al Arabiya]