US Reaction to the Return of Morality Police: 'The Regime' Learned Nothing from Protests

The US Special Envoy for Iran expressed concern in a tweet regarding reports of the 'renewed crackdown' on women in Iran by the so-called 'morality police' enforcing mandatory hijab regulations. The tweet stated: 'It seems the regime has learned nothing from the protests. Women and girls everywhere should be allowed to wear what they want.' Recently, following the announcement by the police regarding the deployment of the morality police to confront opponents of mandatory hijab, the enforcement actions against women have intensified compared to previous months, with reports of clashes between officers and the public circulating on social media. In one of the latest examples, images of tension and clashes between the public and officers in Rasht's municipality square were widely shared on social media on Sunday night. The clashes between the morality police and the public in Rasht indicate that the tensions arose when officers attempted to detain women not adhering to the mandatory hijab. The controversy surrounding the return of the morality police and the release of images showing officers confronting a woman without a hijab in the 'Gisha' neighborhood of Tehran led the newspaper 'Javan' to deny the reports, stating: 'Fake and new videos related to the morality police have been distributed to create a confrontation between women and the government.' According to claims made by this newspaper, a video showing a 'veiled woman' violently attempting to force a poorly veiled woman into a van is 'fake.' The newspaper affiliated with the IRGC stated: 'The video was filmed in such a way that the identity of the van (color and other signs) is unclear, and even the faces of the veiled woman and the unveiled woman are not recognizable at all.' In this context, the news agency Tasnim also quoted unnamed 'senior commanders of the police' stating: 'The morality police vans will absolutely not return to the streets, and no vehicle with the label 'morality police' will be seen on the streets.' The agency further noted: 'If in the future, a video of the vans in the streets or clashes involving the loading of individuals into these vehicles is published, 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 police' has indeed returned to the streets of Iranian cities. The newspaper 'Hamshahri' reacted to the ensuing controversy by stating that police patrols have been established, but there is no 'return of the morality police'; they are 'deflecting.' The 'Resalat' newspaper, close to the Islamic Coalition Party, also reacted to this issue by stating that 'the target of the morality police 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 codes based on common sense and wise Sharia, the current situation may lead the path towards a lack of covering rather than hijab.' The return of the morality police to the streets signifies a return to violence against women. Reactions from users and activists to the return of the morality police to the streets: a costly detour. The return of the morality police to the streets; the Islamic Republic continues to seek to confront women and girls. Physical confrontation of a morality police officer with a girl who does not wear a mandatory hijab. The return of the morality police and the arrest of Mohammad Sadeghi; imposing hijab requires establishing 'thousands of gallows.' The police spokesperson stated: 'The morality police will be stationed in the streets.' On the eve of the 'anniversary of Mahsa Amini,' the morality police quietly returned to the streets. The judiciary's efforts to confront women's civil resistance with 'astonishing' rulings.