The city of Ilam in western Iran introduced the ban on Sunday, citing public health, social order and safety. A local official states that "legal action will be taken against offenders".
In recent times, another 15 cities and areas around the country have introduced similar bans.
According to the religious elite in Iran, dogs are unclean. The furry animals are also seen as a symbol of Western influence.
In state-controlled media several articles on "immoral" dog ownership have been published in recent weeks.
The issue of dogs as pets has been disputed since the Islamic revolution in 1979, but owning a dog has not been prohibited by law. Instead, local authorities in several places have now introduced bans on walking dogs in public and in some cases even against transporting the animals in cars, in what is considered an attempt to counteract dog ownership.
In cities such as Tehran, where it has been prohibited to walk dogs since 2019, many dog owners nevertheless defy the rules and continue to take their dogs for walks.
