Iranian state television has issued an apology after broadcasting images of a couple sharing a brief kiss, local media said Friday.

Any display of physical contact between men and women is forbidden on the Islamic republic's official TV networks.

In a Thursday broadcast, the Nasim entertainment channel showed a young couple kissing for a few seconds at a park, as they were passing in front of a hidden camera recording a prank show.

The segment from the show, "The Four Incredibles", went viral on social media.

The couple is seen for about three seconds walking through a park in the capital Tehran as a prank was being filmed.

In a statement published by the ISNA news agency on Friday, Nasim apologised for an "error that resulted from the negligence of the production team".

It added the channel "will firmly handle those responsible for the negligence following an inquiry".

In 2021, two presenters on state television -- husband and wife -- apologised after hugging each other during a live broadcast, spurring controversy.

The two said they had been unaware they were on air.