Iran announced on Monday it was yanking its entry in the Oscars race because of the "intolerable insult" of the “Innocence of Muslims” film that has angered Muslims in several countries.

"I am officially announcing that in reaction to the intolerable insult to the Great Prophet of Islam we will refrain from taking part in this year's Oscars and we ask other Islamic nations to show their protest like this," Culture Minister Mohammad Hosseini declared, according to the ISNA news agency.