'War against women': Iran ramps up crackdown as regional tensions rage

NEW DELHI: Iran has been witnessing a resurgence in crackdown on women for violating the obligatory hijab rule amidst rising tensions with Israel, according to activists.
With the operation reportedly nicknamed as "Noor" ("light" in Persian), "morality police" have returned with Tehran police chief Abbas Ali Mohammadian announcing the latest crackdown on April 13.
Multiple videos released on social media under the hashtag "jang aliyeh zanan" ("war against women") show women being bundled into vans by male police officers wearing body armor, accompanied by female police agents clad in Islamic chador.
Streets turn into 'battlefield'
"The Islamic Republic has turned the streets into a battlefield against women and youth," jailed 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a message published by her supporters on social media.
Addressing regional tensions in Iran, New York-based rights activist Hadi Ghaemi said, "Amid increasing dissent at home and international attention focused on regional tensions, the Islamic republic is grabbing the opportunity to intensify its campaign of repression against dissent," AFP reported.
"Without a firm international response, the Islamic Republic will be emboldened to intensify its violence against women and its egregious violations of human rights," Ghaemi added.
Hundreds died, thousands arrested in 2022 crackdown
Hundreds of people died and thousands were arrested when Iranian police cracked down upon people protesting the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.
Aida Shahkarami, the sister of Nika Shahkarami, 16, who died in the 2022 crackdown, was among those imprisoned in recent days, according to her mother Nasrin on social media, AFP reported.
Esmail Hassaniani, 29, and his wife Marjan Hajizadeh, 19, were executed for drug-related offenses in a joint case and hung in Zanjan central jail on April 11, according to Iran Human Rights (IHR) group.
Addressing the issue, IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said, "The regime will without any doubt use this opportunity to tighten the grip inside the country."
"They still haven't managed to take the control that they had before September 2022. They may have the opportunity to do so now, if all the international attention goes to the escalating tension with Israel," Mahmood added.