In a further escalation of its oppressive tactics, the Iranian regime has extended its crackdown beyond street harassment of women and now businesses in what marks the second phase of the notorious “Noor Plan” or “Noor Project”.
Just a day after the regime’s Food and Drug Administration threatened pharmacies, conditioning their medication quotas on enforcing mandatory hijab rules within their premises, it swiftly retreated from its scheme, fearing an imminent social backlash. But rather than owning up to its actions, the regime reverted to its usual propaganda playbook, deflecting responsibility onto “dissenting media” and “evil individuals.”
However, this maneuver typifies the regime’s broader strategy of societal subjugation through coercion and intimidation. Faced with limitations in their capacity to suppress dissent solely through force, the regime seeks to diminish societal resistance by enlisting various segments, including business owners, university professors, teachers, and even taxi drivers, to act as agents of oppression.
What’s Behind #Iran’s Regime Staged Façade to Show Popular Support for #Hijab Crackdownhttps://t.co/u7k63Icjoi
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 5, 2024
The regime’s recent target was pharmacies, which have a direct impact on public health. Despite attempts to downplay the severity of the imposed regulations, the essence remains unchanged: using medication as a tool for extortion and punishment amplifies the regime’s relentless pursuit of dominance.
Moreover, reports from various cities underscore the intensifying crackdown, with popular establishments like restaurants and cafes being sealed off for alleged violations of mandatory hijab rules by staff and or customers. The Instagram account of “Beruz” restaurant in Isfahan recently announced its closure due to such reasons, eliciting public outcry among its 50,000 followers.
Similarly, citizens have reported the closure of two eateries in Qazvin and Tehran, further highlighting the regime’s heavy-handed approach. Even public figures are not immune, as evidenced by the closure of Café P1, a frequented spot associated with a prominent footballer Alireza Biranvand.
This crackdown isn’t confined to eateries alone; tourism sites like “Eco Camp Dorna” in Meshkin Shahr, Ardabil Province, faced closure for purported violations of so-called “Islamic norms.”
Tehran, #Iran
More evidence of the regime mounting pressure on women and girls. Suppressive security forces arresting a girl for not observing the regime's misogynistic hijab rules.
pic.twitter.com/yE5BubbSaV#زن_مقاومت_آزادی
— Women's Committee NCRI (@womenncri) April 17, 2024
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s recent call for intensified moral policing, branding enforcers of oppressive codes as “voluntary people,” preceded the regime’s expansion of its coercive measures. The deployment of state personnel and undercover agents to enforce hijab regulations underscores the regime’s determination, despite ongoing resistance from society.
As the regime tightens its grip, each shuttered business and displaced worker serves as a testament to the populace’s steadfast refusal to yield to authoritarian dictates. While the regime may resort to brute force, its failure to garner genuine societal support reflects its waning influence, leaving coercion as its sole recourse—a costly strategy that only further galvanizes resistance and fuels the flames of an imminent revolt.
