Iranian press review: Tehran uses phone tracking for hijab crackdown

Mandatory Islamic hijab returns to spotlight

The Iranian establishment has increased pressure on women by sending warning text messages to women in Tehran, Shiraz, Rasht and Isfahan, urging them to follow the mandatory Islamic hijab rules. 

The move has sparked concerns about the violation of personal privacy.

The Shargh daily criticised the practice, highlighting: “These actions, especially in the absence of a clear and enforceable law on hijab, could lead to serious legal and social issues. Sending such warning messages could violate citizens’ rights and privacy.”

In the past, similar messages were sent only to women not wearing the hijab in their cars, using their licence plate numbers for identification. But now, authorities reportedly use street cameras and mobile phone tracking to identify women in public places.

According to local media, officials in the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian have denied any involvement. However, the messages warn women that they could face legal consequences if they continue to disobey the hijab law.

Iranian lawyer and academic Mohsen Borhani suggested the goal of these messages is political. 

He said principlist groups, unhappy with their losses in the presidential election, were using these warnings to challenge the Pezeshkian government, which had opposed enforcing a stricter hijab law passed by parliament.

“Extremist factions, whom most voters rejected, are using these actions to suggest that the government has failed to keep its promises,” Borhani said.

In 2022, widespread protests against the mandatory hijab erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody over alleged hijab violations. The demonstrations quickly grew into nationwide anti-establishment protests, demanding broader political and social change.

Kurdish political prisoner on hunger strike 

Ageing Kurdish political prisoner Motaleb Ahmadian, who is suffering from cancer, has gone on a hunger strike to protest being denied access to proper medical care and the Tehran prosecutor’s refusal to suspend his prison sentence for treatment.

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On Monday, the HRANA news agency reported that Ahmadian, now in his 15th year of imprisonment, is one of the inmates not receiving medical treatment despite serious health issues.

In a letter from prison, Ahmadian wrote that throughout his struggle against injustice, he faced two choices: to stay silent or to resist. “I chose to stand up,” he wrote. “And the price was a 30-year prison sentence.”

He explained that his hunger strike was not only a personal protest but also a stand for other prisoners who are denied fundamental rights. 

“I have decided to go on a hunger strike to protest the clear violation of my rights - and the rights of all prisoners - especially the right to timely and proper medical treatment,” he wrote.

Ahmadian was arrested in October 2010. After spending 230 days in solitary confinement, he was convicted of moharebeh, meaning enmity against God in sharia law, for alleged membership in the Iranian-Kurdish socialist Komaleh Party. 

Public demands accountability after deadly port explosion 

More than a week after the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port, which killed 57 people, pressure has mounted to uncover the cause of the deadly incident. 

Some media outlets called for the resignation of officials whose negligence may have contributed to the disaster.

'The grieving people of Iran, especially those in Bandar Abbas, are demanding justice. That means real accountability for those responsible'

- Eqtesad Saramad

While the exact cause has not been officially confirmed, government officials have recently admitted that improper storage of hazardous imported materials and errors in registering the type of goods were major factors.

In response, the economic daily Eqtesad Saramad criticised what it described as a deliberate effort to hide the truth. “If a mistake has been identified, why has it not been addressed seriously?” the daily wrote. “The fault is still being concealed.”

“The grieving people of Iran, especially those in Bandar Abbas, and the country’s maritime community, are demanding justice. That means real accountability for those responsible for the Shahid Rajaee port disaster.”

The newspaper also criticised senior officials in the ports and shipping sector for offering condolences instead of taking responsibility.

“Rather than resigning or apologising, they are simply releasing performance reports and sympathy messages,” it said, warning that growing corruption and lack of transparency could derail any serious investigation.

“We hope our suspicion is wrong,” the editorial concluded.

Conservatives criticise new US sanctions 

Iranian conservatives, long opposed to negotiations over the country’s nuclear programme, have denounced what they call the United States’ double standards, following the imposition of new sanctions during the latest round of talks between Tehran and Washington.

The conservative daily Kayhan, whose editor is appointed by Iran’s supreme leader, described the new sanctions as a sign of bad faith by the US and condemned President Donald Trump’s approach to diplomacy. 

“Only 100 days have passed since Trump’s return, and already the number of sanctions by the US government against Iranian individuals and institutions has reached a significant total of 182,” the daily wrote.

The editorial argued that these sanctions go beyond economics, calling them an attack on Iran’s dignity, independence and national welfare. It suggested the negotiations are simply part of the broader US “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.

* Iranian press review is a digest of news reports not independently verified as accurate by Middle East Eye.