Continued Tension Between People and Morality Police; Revolutionary Guard Newspaper Denies Images; Clashes in Rasht City Square

After the police officially announced the deployment of morality patrols to confront opponents of mandatory hijab, the interactions between officers and women have intensified compared to previous months. Based on images circulated on social media, clashes have occurred between officers and the public. In one of the latest instances, images of tension and conflict between people and officers in Rasht City Square were widely shared on social media on Sunday night. The clashes occurred when officers attempted to detain women who were not adhering to the mandatory hijab. The controversy surrounding the return of the morality patrol and the release of images showing officers confronting a woman without a hijab in the Gisha neighborhood of Tehran led the Javan newspaper to deny it in its latest issue, stating: 'Fake and new videos related to the morality patrol have been distributed to create a confrontation between women and the government.' According to claims made by this newspaper affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, a video showing a 'veiled woman' violently trying to force a poorly veiled woman into a van is 'fake.' The Revolutionary Guard's newspaper stated: 'The video is filmed in such a way that the identity of the van (color and other signs) is not clear, and even the faces of the veiled woman and the unveiled woman are not identifiable.' In this context, the Tasnim news agency also quoted unnamed 'senior commanders of the police' stating: 'Under no circumstances will the morality patrol vans return to the streets, and no vehicle with the inscription 'morality patrol' will be seen on the streets.' The news agency further stated: 'If from now on, a video of the vans in the streets or clashes involving the loading of individuals into these vehicles is released, it is either fabricated or archival footage released for specific purposes.' Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's police confirmed yesterday that the 'morality patrol' has indeed returned to the streets of Iranian cities. Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi cited 'public demands and the requests of various social groups and institutions, as well as the emphasis of the President and the Judiciary' as the reasons for the resumption of the morality patrol's activities. In response to the ensuing controversy, the Hamshahri newspaper wrote that police patrols have been established, but 'there is no return of the morality patrol'; 'they are deflecting attention.' The Resalat newspaper, close to the Islamic Coalition Party, also reacted to this issue by stating that 'the target of the morality patrol vans is the secular society. They are imposing modernity and secularism on Iranian women.' The writer of this newspaper emphasized that 'although we agree with the legal obligation regarding dress code based on common sense and wise religious law, the current situation may lead to a shift towards being uncovered rather than veiling.' The return of the morality patrol to the streets signifies a return of violence against women. Reactions from users and activists regarding the return of the morality patrol to the streets: a costly detour. The Islamic Republic continues to seek confrontation with women and girls. Physical confrontation of a morality patrol officer with a girl who does not wear a mandatory hijab. The return of the morality patrol and the arrest of Mohammad Sadeghi; imposing hijab requires the establishment of 'thousands of gallows.' The spokesperson for the police stated: the morality patrol will be stationed in the streets. On the eve of the 'anniversary of Mahsa Amini,' the morality patrol has quietly returned to the streets. The Judiciary's efforts to confront women's civil resistance with 'astonishing' rulings.