Iran's police have said they are to take tougher action against violations of the strict Islamic dress code.
At the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Wednesday, the police announced that they would be taking tougher action in accordance with their "legal duties," the Mehr news agency reported.
From Saturday onwards, offences such as failing to follow the headscarf requirement will be punished more severely.
All citizens, but especially girls and women, are called upon to adhere to the "moral values" and "religious norms of society," the report said. It was initially unclear to what extent the police in Iran now want to carry out checks.
Since mass protests in 2022, the Iranian government has been less strict in enforcing the dress code, partly due to police experiencing more resistance.
The protests were triggered by the death of Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being arrested by the country's so-called morality police for allegedly wearing an ill-fitting headscarf.
An independent commission of experts established by the UN came to the conclusion that physical violence after the arrest led to the young woman's death.
Since the protests, Iranian security authorities have stepped up video surveillance of offences.
Cars belonging to women who were repeatedly caught driving without a headscarf have been impounded. Shops and restaurants whose customers disregarded the dress code were ordered to close.
Since the 2022 protests, more and more Iranian women have been ignoring the dress code. Religious hardliners are trying to fight this. A new law provides for draconian punishments for infractions.
The reform has already been passed by parliament, but is still to come into force.
