Actress banned from leaving Iran

An Iranian actress has been banned from leaving her homeland after starring in a Hollywood film without permission, according to Iranian news agency IRNA.

Golshifteh Farahani appears alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's new film Body of Lies.

It was reported that Farahani had not acquired the correct permit from the Iranian government necessary for actors to appear in foreign films.

The 25-year-old was stopped as she boarded a plane bound for Los Angeles.

When she arrived she was due to meet with casting agents and directors.

It is not the first time Farahani, one of Iran's most popular actresses, has been involved in controversy.

In 2007 she played the wife of a drug addict in Santouri, a film criticised for portraying a negative image of Iranian society and never released there.

Scott's latest movie tells the story of a CIA agent sent to Jordan on the trail of an al-Qaeda leader.

It is released in the UK and US on 10 October 2008.