The 1925 Penal Code stated that prostitution was not a crime in itself, but that it was a crime to advocate it, to aid or abet a woman to enter prostitution or to operate a brothel. Some Iranian feminists regard mut'a , a form of temporary marriage where the woman has few rights, as akin to prostitution. Under mut'a , it is possible to be 'married' for as little as half an hour. No legal definition of prostitution in the Penal Code. But it is illegal to live off the earnings of prostitution.
Police regularly harass prostitutes.
Researchers on AIDS and prostitution report that any woman who is single and has multiple male sex partners is considered to be a prostitute, whether or not money changes hands. Prostitution is legal, regarded as a matter of privacy. Exploitation and pimping are illegal. Local councils decide when and where to prosecute. In most cities, soliciting is forbidden.