Iran's clerical leadership has often lauded the impact of sports in rallying the nation, but commendations can quickly turn to condemnation for athletes who dare to step out of line.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, scores of athletes who have shown anything but complete loyalty to the clerical establishment have been barred from competitions, arrested, or even executed. Amid mass anti-government protests that have broken out in recent years, sports figures who raised their voices have again been targeted by the authorities.

Revolutionary Change

While meeting a group of Iranian athletes in 1979, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini expressed his faith in their ability to use international competition to spread the ideals of the revolution across the globe.

"I am not an athlete, but I love athletes. I love the doers of good, although I am not one of them," he said. "I beseech God, the most blessed and exalted, to grant greater success to you young people, who are the assets of this country and the source of hope for the nation and Islam, in doing sports in all human dimensions."

But not all of Iran's athletes fit the mold. Among the prominent stars missing from the photo op was soccer star Habib Khabiri, a key factor in Iran's march to its first-ever appearance at the World Cup in 1978. While Khabiri would go on to captain the national squad in 1980, he would eventually pay the ultimate price for his alleged disloyalty to the revolution.

While Khabiri initially joined the street protests that ushered in the revolution, he later allegedly joined the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), which itself had participated in the Islamic Revolution that toppled the shah but was soon branded a threat by the new clerical establishment.

A team photo taken prior to a game in 1982 in which Khabiri is the only player not holding up a portrait of Khomeini has long been taken as black and white proof of his differences with the authorities.

Fellow teammate Ebrahim Kian Tahmasebi, also seen in the photo, explained the backstory.

"Habib turned Khomeini's picture upside down in the dressing room," Tahmasebi told RFE/RL's Radio Farda from Sweden. And when other players turned on him, Khabiri didn't budge. "Habib was calm, as always, and said: ‘The revolution will not be overturned by overturning the photo.'"

In 1983, as the authorities cracked down on suspected sympathizers and members of the MKO -- which by then openly called for Khomeini's overthrow and had aligned with Baghdad in the Iran-Iraq War -- Khabiri was arrested.

After being subjected to torture in prison, according to fellow prisoners and teammates, Khabiri was executed at the age of 29 alongside 40 other alleged dissidents in July 1984.

Deadly Trend

Recent cases involving prominent sports figures caught up in the crackdown on ongoing antiestablishment protests bear some resemblance to Khabiri's. Two athletes have been executed despite international outcry, while others have been killed during protests, arrested, or pressured to get in line with the authorities' demands. Many have been subjected to sham trials with little or no chance to defend themselves, according to rights groups. And athletes' immediate families have often faced pressure as well.

Navid Afkari

Navid Afkari, once one of Iran's highest-ranked Greco-Roman wrestlers, was executed at the age of 27 in September 2020 after being convicted of murdering a security guard during antiestablishment protests in the southern city of Shiraz in 2018.

There were worldwide calls for Afkari to be pardoned, and his execution was condemned by rights groups who criticized the trial as a "travesty of justice" that denied him legal representation and refused to take into account his testimony that he had been forced to confess under torture.

The former wrestling champion's last recorded words were: "If I am executed, I want you to know that an innocent person, even though he tried and fought with all his strength to be heard, was executed."

An attorney who advocated for Afkari argued that there was no proof of guilt, and decried that the wrestler's family was not allowed to meet him prior to his execution, a violation of Iranian law. His brothers, Vahid and Habib, were sentenced to 54 and 27 years, respectively, in prison in the same case.

Many Iranians condemned his execution on social media, and as other Iranian athletes have been targeted by the authorities, the "United4Navid" hashtag is quickly revived as a reminder of his legacy.

In September 2021, Shahin Naseri, a prisoner who claimed he witnessed Afkari being tortured before his execution, was himself executed.

Mohammad Mehdi Karami

The mass protests that broke out in September over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini soon after she was arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the head-scarf law have also resulted in the arrests and deaths of sports figures who supported her cause.

In January, three-time youth karate champion and national team member Mohammad Mehdi Karami was executed after being found guilty of involvement in the death of a member of the Basij paramilitary forces during a demonstration in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran.

Karami's execution took place just 65 days after his arrest and following a trial in which he was given just 15 minutes to defend himself in court. The 22-year-old was denied the right to choose his own legal representation, and had begun a dry hunger strike in protest. Activists alleged that Karami was beaten unconscious by prison guards and threatened with rape while incarcerated, and rights groups said that the court relied on forced confessions.

Of the 16 people detained in relation to the killing of the Basij officer, Karami and one other were executed, while the others, including minors, received lengthy prison sentences.

Keeping Score

One of the biggest stars to ever suit up for Iran's national soccer team, Ali Daei, ran into trouble after he voiced support for the protests. In December, the 53-year-old former player and coach was denied the right to leave the country to attend Iran's World Cup appearance in Qatar, and has also had his business shuttered by the authorities owing to his support for the protests.

Voria Ghafouri, who was left off the World Cup squad, was arrested in November for "insulting the national soccer team and propagandizing against the government" just days after expressing sympathy for Amini's family and calling for an end to the state crackdown on protesters.

And members of the national team reportedly got a talking to from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps after they appeared to support the protests by abstaining from singing Iran's national anthem ahead of their game with England.

In January, wrestler Mohammad Namjoo-Motlagh told Radio Farda he was seeking asylum in Germany after facing "constant threats and psychological pressure" from the Iranian Wrestling Federation and other state bodies over his support for the ongoing protests.

"It was clear where this was going," said Namjoo-Motlagh, who is believed to have posted social-media posts that were critical of the authorities and supportive of the protests. "I would either lose my life or they would blind me, or in the best-case scenario, I would be sent to prison."

The same month came news that a death sentence handed down to Amir Nasr-Azadani, a soccer player who played for a number of clubs in Iran's top domestic league and had campaigned for women's rights, had been overturned. But Nasr-Azadani, who the previous month was found guilty of complicity in the killings of three Basij officers during protests, still faces 16 years in prison.

The trend of punishing sports figures who protest has extended to the chessboard and reached great heights.

In October, sport-climbing champion Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without her hair covered, a violation of Iran's strict rules during international competition. The act was widely seen as one of support for the protests.

When Rekabi returned to Iran, she offered an apology that some fellow athletes said was forced. In April, it was reported that she was not allowed to leave the country to continue her training in Spain.

Sara Khadem, a top female Iranian chess player, competed without a head scarf at an international tournament in Kazakhstan in December. Khadem refused to return to Iran for fear of retribution and moved to Spain with her husband. She recently said while competing in a tournament there that she has no regrets for her actions.

Soccer player Reza Shekari, meanwhile, has been banned from playing in Iran’s domestic league and summoned to face a disciplinary committee after he refused to celebrate after scoring a goal.

Gone But Not Forgotten

To this day, Tehran has given no explanation for the reasons for Khabib's arrest, the charges against him, or details regarding his trial. His reported denunciation of the MKO appears not to have been taken into consideration, and his family members were not allowed to attend his funeral.

But his legacy is undeniable, both on and off the pitch.

Journalist Faridun Shibani, who traveled with the national team when Khabib played, said that there were some things about the man and player that he could not write at the time.

"I fell in love with the morals of this young man," Shibani told Radio Farda. "Habib is one of the leaders in recognizing and opposing the Islamic republic. He opened the eyes of others to the new system."

Buried in secret in an unmarked grave, the authorities eventually relented to the public, allowing a simple gravestone bearing the soccer legend's name to mark his plot at Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.

Written by Michael Scollon based on reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

Satellite images analyzed on May 7 by the Associated Press show two oil tankers recently seized by Iran off the coast of one of its key port cities on the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The photos from Planet Labs PBC showed the Advantage Sweet and the Niovi anchored just south of Bandar Abbas, near a naval base in the port city in Iran's Hormozgan Province. Their capture represents just the latest ship seizure conducted by Iran amid tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, though it appears the two ships may have been taken for different reasons. To see the original story by AP, click here.

Iran has executed a Swedish-Iranian dissident who went missing from a Turkish airport two years ago before turning up in Iranian custody accused of terrorism, state media reported on May 6.

Habib Chaab, a founder and former leader of a separatist group called the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz (ASMLA), had been sentenced to death for being "corrupt on earth,” a capital offense under Iran’s strict Islamic laws.

Iranian officials accused Chaab of leading a "terrorist group" called Harakat al-Nidal and organizing and carrying out bombings and terrorist operations in the southwestern Khuzestan Province.

The group was blamed for a bomb attack on an annual military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz in 2018 that killed at least two dozen people and injured scores more.

The execution was carried out in Tehran, state media reported, after the Iranian Supreme Court upheld the death sentence on March 21.

At the time of the court ruling Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom blasted the death sentence, saying it was "an inhumane and irreversible punishment and that Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its use in all circumstances.”

Chaab, also known as Habib Asyud, went missing during a visit to Turkey in October 2020.

A month after his disappearance, he was shown in a video on Iranian state television in which he claimed responsibility for launching an attack and working with Saudi intelligence services.

Former prisoners and rights groups say Iran systematically uses torture and forced, televised confessions against alleged criminals and political detainees.

Iran's foreign minister at the time of the Ahvaz attack, Mohammad Javad Zarif, later blamed that bombing on foreign enemies and their "U.S. masters."

Chaab's former wife, Hoda Havashemi, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda in January 2022 that she didn't believe he was involved in the Ahvaz bombing and feared he wouldn't get a fair trial.

She said Swedish authorities were not being granted access to Chaab. Iran does not recognize dual citizenship.

ASMLA is primarily based in the Netherlands and Denmark. Its leadership has been accused by Danish authorities of financing and promoting terrorism in Iran with Saudi Arabia's backing.

In late October 2018, the Danish intelligence service accused the Iranian intelligence service of plotting to assassinate at least one of the three leaders of the group's Danish branch, which Tehran denied.

In November 2017, a leader of the ASMLA was shot dead in The Hague in an attack that the Dutch government said was linked to Iran.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Iranian labor activist Sepideh Gholian has been handed a two-year prison sentence for chanting a slogan against Iran’s supreme leader shortly after her recent release from detention.

Gholian was released from prison on March 15. As she left the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, she shouted, "Khamenei, the tyrant, we will bury you in the ground," a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A video of her comments was circulated on social media, and four hours after her release she was rearrested.

Mehdi Gholian, Sepideh's brother, said on his Instagram page that Sepideh was handed the two-year sentence and now faces another stint in prison before her life could return to normal after her previous incarceration.

"We received the news yesterday [May 4] that Sepideh has been sentenced to another two years in prison, which effectively means starting over what we thought had just ended," he said.

Iran's judiciary has not commented publicly on the sentence.

Gholian was originally arrested along with more than a dozen activists, protest organizers, and workers during the Haft Tappeh Sugar Factory strike in November 2018. While most were released on bond the next day, Gholian was imprisoned for a month.

Her release from prison in Ahvaz in December 2018 was short-lived as she was again arrested in January 2019 after Iranian state television aired footage in which it purported to show Gholian confessing to taking part in alleged Western-backed efforts to overthrow the government. She promptly countered those accusations on social media by saying she had been beaten and forced to make a false confession.

Her release in March 2023 was part of an amnesty granted by Khamenei to hundreds of prisoners.

Gholian declared during her incarceration that she does not recognize the legitimacy of the Islamic republic's "sham trials" and will not participate in any court proceedings as long as the government continues its oppressive policies against activists and dissenters.

Unrest has rattled Iran since last summer in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of insurance support. Labor law in Iran does not recognize the right of workers to form independent unions.

Adding to the dissent, the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly breathed new life into demonstrations, which officials across the country have since tried to quell with harsh measures.

The activist HRANA news agency said that more than 500 people have been killed during the unrest, including 71 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent.

Thousands have been arrested in the clampdown, with the judiciary handing down harsh sentences -- including the death penalty -- to protesters.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

An Iranian teacher and labor activist has died from injuries he suffered in an attack by unknown assailants in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan.

The Iranian Teachers' Union's Coordination Council said on May 5 that Hossein Mahdipor, a sociology teacher and labor activist in the region, died from injuries he suffered in what it called "an assassination attempt" that occurred three days earlier.

Mahdipor, who was the administrator of a Telegram channel called Teachers' Demands, was attacked by unknown assailants on May 2, coinciding with Teacher's Day in Iran.

In condemning the attack, the council also warned of a rise in violence faced by people in Sistan-Baluchistan Province, which has been the epicenter of protests in Iran for months.

Almost 100 people were killed and hundreds injured by security forces in the province's main city, Zahedan, on September 30 amid unrest triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl by a local police commander.

Mahdipor was a well-known labor activist who advocated for the rights of teachers and workers in Iran and had been detained by security forces previously for his activities.

Judicial and disciplinary authorities in Sistan-Baluchistan have yet to provide any explanation or updates on the attack on Mahdipor.

Unrest -- including several protests by teachers -- has rattled Iran since last summer in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support. Labor law in Iran does not recognize the right of workers to form independent unions.

Adding to the dissent, Amini's death in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly breathed new life into the demonstrations, which officials across the country have tried to quell with harsh measures.

The activist HRANA news agency says that more than 500 people have been killed during the unrest, including 71 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent.

Thousands have been arrested in the clampdown, with the judiciary handing down harsh sentences -- including the death penalty -- to protesters.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Rights organizations and activists say they have joined forces to form the Keep It On coalition to ensure pressure remains on the authorities to stop ongoing human rights violations in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan Province.

In a joint statement signed by various media rights platforms such as Haalvsh and Baloch Activists Campaign, along with organizations including PEN America and United for Iran, as well as Iranian human rights activists such as Shirin Ebadi and Fariba Baluch, the coalition emphasized that Internet shutdowns in the province are being carried out to "cover up human rights violations" in the province and called for an immediate halt to them.

The province, particularly the city of Zahedan, has been the epicenter of protests in Iran for months and has recently experienced Internet shutdowns every Friday coinciding with prayers and subsequent protests.

The statement also refers to "Bloody Friday" in Zahedan, when security forces opened fire on protesters, stating that "the Iranian government has resorted to various measures to suppress the ongoing protests, including causing severe disruptions to mobile data in the province, especially in areas where protests are taking place."

Almost 100 people were killed and hundreds injured by security forces in Zahedan on September 30 amid unrest triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl by a local police commander.

The signatories of the statement called on the International Telecommunication Union and its secretary-general to pressure Iran to stop the Internet disruptions.

They also emphasized that they are "seeking further investigation of human rights violations" by the Islamic republic, including attempts to "silence citizens." The people of Sistan-Baluchistan "deserve to express their opinions freely and without fear of retribution," the statement says.

NetBlocks, a network that tracks Internet access worldwide, has frequently reported a "significant disruption" in connectivity in Zahedan.

Anger over Amini's death in police custody on September 16 has prompted thousands of Iranians to take to the streets nationwide to demand more freedoms and women's rights. The widespread unrest represents the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.

Her death, which officials blamed on a heart attack, touched off a wave of anti-government protests in cities across the country. The authorities have responded to the unrest with a harsh crackdown that rights groups say has killed more than 500 people, including 71 children.

Sunni Muslims make up the majority of the population in Sistan-Baluchistan Province in southeastern Iran, where Abdolhamid is based, but make up only about 10 percent of the population in Shi'a-dominated Iran overall.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

A statement by a senior Iranian Labor Ministry official suggesting that Tehran might have to sell some of Iran's strategic Persian Gulf islands to pay pensions has ignited a wave of skepticism and opposition from the Iranian public.

Sajjad Padam, director-general of social insurance at the ministry, said in an interview on May 1 with the Tehran-based 90Eghtesadi news website that the country may be forced to sell some of its southern islands, including Kish and Qeshm in the Persian Gulf, to pay pensions as the government struggles with financial difficulties amid a deepening economic crisis.

Padam said budgetary difficulties forced the government to shift funds earmarked for infrastructure projects to pension payments.

That led to only 20 percent of the planned 850 trillion rials ($1.6 billion) allocated to construction work being actually used on such work over the past five months, he said.

He also noted that even if Iran were to sell 3 million barrels of oil per day without sanctions and receive the complete sum, it wouldn't resolve the retirement funding crisis.

Prior to sanctions, Iran exported around 2.5 million barrels of oil per day. Now is sells approximately 1 million barrels daily.

The loss of oil profits at current prices amounts to roughly $45 billion annually, equivalent to 1 1/2 times the total government budget for the current year.

Unrest has rattled Iran since last summer in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support. Labor law in Iran does not recognize the right of workers to form independent unions.

Padam's statement generated significant reactions in social media. Iranian political analyst Ahmad Zeidabadi wrote on his Telegram channel that the warnings given by Padam about the bankruptcy of Iran's retirement funds underscored the fragility of the country's economic situation.

Former political prisoner Hengameh Shahidi highlighted the potential of Kish and Qeshm islands on Twitter, arguing that with proper management and granting some freedom to these free-trade zones, it would be possible for the two islands and their surroundings to generate foreign-currency revenues from tourism.

"This income could replace the money Iranians spend on leisure trips to destinations such as Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, and Malaysia, ultimately benefiting Iran's economy," Shahidi added.

Iran on May 3 seized a second oil tanker in a week in Gulf waters, and the U.S. State Department called for its release, in the latest escalation in a series of seizures or attacks on commercial vessels in Gulf waters. The U.S. Navy said in a statement that the Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi was seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy (IRGCN) while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran's prosecutor said the oil tanker was seized on a judicial order following a complaint by a plaintiff, the judiciary's Mizan news agency said. No further details were provided. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what I've been following during the past week and what I'm watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

The authorities in Iran have closed hundreds of small businesses, including cafes and restaurants, in recent months for allegedly failing to enforce the country's hijab law on their customers.

In recent weeks, the authorities have turned their attention to big businesses, including a major shopping mall, as they intensify their efforts to impose the compulsory head scarf.

Tehran’s Opal Mall, which has over 450 shops and employs around 1,500 people, was shut down on April 25 for five days. One shop was closed again after appearing to offer unveiled women a 50 percent discount to celebrate the mall’s reopening on April 30. The shop later apologized.

During the Iranian month of Farvardin, which runs from March 21 to April 21, around 2,000 businesses were closed due to alleged hijab violations, according to the reformist Shargh daily.

Why It Matters: The closure of businesses is part of attempts by the authorities to enforce the hijab as more women flout the law.

Women have been emboldened by the nationwide antiestablishment protests that erupted in September following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini soon after she was arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the hijab law. During the demonstrations, women and girls removed and burned their head scarves.

In April, Iranian police began to use surveillance cameras to identify and punish women who fail to comply with the mandatory hijab. Authorities have warned that offenders could face hefty fines and lose access to mobile-phone and Internet services.

Despite the new measures, some women have remained defiant, including prominent figures.

What’s Next: The authorities’ closure of businesses is likely to aggravate the economic crisis in Iran, which has witnessed soaring inflation, rising unemployment, and growing poverty in recent years.

The Shargh daily said the authorities’ policies are likely to lead to a new wave of unemployment and undermine President Ebrahim Raisi’s pledge to create more jobs.

Some Iranian lawyers, meanwhile, have questioned the legality of the government’s move to shutter businesses over the appearances of their customers. Outspoken legal scholar Mohsen Borhani accused the authorities of violating Iranian law and Islamic jurisprudence.

Stories You Might Have Missed

Iranian authorities have arrested at least three political activists who spoke at a Clubhouse event during which rights advocates, political prisoners, and academics called for a transition to a new, democratic political system. The arrests came amid a crackdown on dissent following months of protests against the clerical establishment. One of the arrested activists, former student leader Abdollah Momeni, was released on bail over the weekend.

Iran's worsening air pollution and continued use of dirty fuels to power automobiles and industrial plants have cast a spotlight on the country's inability to enforce its own clean-air standards. But amid public anger over the deadly danger posed by the toxic smog that hangs over major cities, the government has slashed the budget for tackling air pollution, blamed international sanctions, and made middling bureaucrats the scapegoat.

What We're Watching

Workers from several industries in Iran have staged new strikes in protest of inadequate wage increases and deteriorating living conditions.

Retirees and workers from the petrochemical and mining industries have held demonstrations in recent weeks in major cities, including Isfahan and Ahvaz.

The authorities appear to have responded to the strikes by summoning workers and union leaders for questioning.

Why It Matters: The government’s failure to improve the living conditions of workers and pensioners is likely to fuel more protests and strikes.

In March, the government raised the minimum wage by some 27 percent. But with the inflation rate running at around 40 percent for the past two years, workers have demanded a bigger wage increase.

The Financial Times reported that the Statistical Center of Iran has not published the inflation rate in the past two months, fueling accusations that the authorities are trying to conceal the real figures.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Golnaz Esfandiari

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.

An explosion at a combat-readiness and support center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on the outskirts of the city of Damghan in the central Iranian province of Semnan has left two personnel dead and three injured, the IRGC said in a statement.

According to the statement, the explosion on May 2 was caused by "ammunition relocation." Two IRGC personnel were killed in the blast at the IRGC site, the statement added.

The public-relations arm of the IRGC confirmed that three employees were then injured and hospitalized following the explosion while separating "ammunition waste" at the site.

In recent years, several explosions have occurred at IRGC and military bases. Tehran has blamed Israel for some of the incidents, while on other occasions they either concealed the cause or attributed it to the destruction of old ammunition.

In June 2021, Iranian media reported that a drone attack on the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA) in Karaj had been "neutralized."

But satellite images from intelligence institute IntelLab revealed that the Karaj facilities were damaged.

International media also reported that the attack on TESA facilities had caused "significant damage." Iran later confirmed the attack.

In one of the deadliest explosions at an IRGC missile base, General Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, one of the founders of the IRGC's missile program, was killed in November 2011.

Iran and Israel have been engaged in a shadow war for years. Tensions have been nearing a boiling point in recent years.

Israel is believed to have been behind the assassinations of at least five Iranian nuclear scientists in the past decade. The assassinations have raised questions about the possibility of foreign intelligence agencies penetrating Iran's security apparatus.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has hailed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for achieving "victory" in the country's 12-year-long civil war. Tehran has been a major ally in the conflict, which has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions. Parts of the country's north remain outside government control. "Syria's government and people have gone through great difficulties, and today we can say that you have overcome all these problems and achieved victory despite the threats and sanctions imposed on you," Raisi told Assad during a visit to Damascus on May 3, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency.

Demonstrations erupted in various parts of the Iranian capital of Tehran as the city steps up enforcement of the mandatory hijab rule, angering residents who for months have protested over what they see as the government's intrusion into their daily lives.

Rallies took place late on May 1 in the capital's districts of Sattarkhan, Aryashahr, Tehranpars, and Gohardasht Karaj, as citizens chanted "Death to the oppressor, long live the worker," "Woman, life, freedom," and "Death to Khamenei," a reference to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Similar protests were held in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, where demonstrators chanted slogans supporting workers, political prisoners, and the imprisoned Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi.

Slogans like "We've come again, the uprising continues" and "It's time for the clerical government to end" rang through the streets in Isfahan.

Meanwhile, in Tehran’s western neighborhood of Aryashahr, protesters shouted slogans against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and decrying deteriorating living conditions.

The upsurge in unrest comes as Tehran tries to crack down on women appearing in public without the mandatory hijab.

Tehran's mayor, Alireza Zakani, has said the city is gradually increasing surveillance in areas such as subway stations where women without a hijab are being barred from entering public transport.

“We will proceed according to the country’s laws in this regard," he recently told City Council.

The death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran in September, which officials blamed on a heart attack, touched off a wave of anti-government protests that authorities have met with a harsh crackdown that rights groups say has killed more than 500 people, including 71 children.

Officials, who have blamed -- without providing evidence -- the West for the demonstrations, have vowed to crack down even harder on protesters, with the judiciary leading the way after the unrest entered a fourth month.

At the same time, many local authorities, especially in larger cities, are trying to ratchet up enforcement of the hijab law.

The protests pose the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.

Several thousand people have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Tehran police say legal cases have been filed against prominent Iranian cinema and television actresses for appearing at a public event without wearing a hijab.

The Tehran Police Information Center announced the cases on May 2, after earlier reporting that legal cases had been filed against actresses Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram for similar offenses.

The center cited "unveiling the hijab in public and publishing images on social media" as the reason for filing the cases against the actresses.

Motamed-Arya also had previously appeared without a mandatory hijab at a public funeral ceremony on April 18 along with actresses Golab Adineh and Riahi.

"It is regrettable that our most beautiful and transparent heartfelt beliefs have been trampled by hypocrisy, dictatorship, ignorance, and deceit," veteran Iranian actress Afsaneh Bayegan, who attended the same public event without wearing a mandatory hijab, said on Instagram.

"Today, for all the children of my homeland, for the hearts of all grieving mothers, and for truth and enlightenment, this is my heart's voice: In the name of a woman, life and freedom; in the name of a man, homeland and prosperity," she added.

Such acts of civil disobedience have increased in Iran, where the country's "hijab and chastity" law requires women and girls over the age of 9 to wear a head scarf in public, since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police on September 16 for an alleged hijab offense.

Since Amini's death, Iranians have flooded onto the streets across the country to protest against a lack of rights, with women and schoolgirls putting up unprecedented shows of support in what is considered to be one of the biggest threats to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.

The protests have provoked a deadly state crackdown, with law enforcement and security forces killing scores of demonstrators, according to human rights groups.

While the protests appear to be waning, resistance to the hijab is likely to increase, analysts say, as it is seen now as a symbol of the state's repression of women and the deadly crackdown on society.

In recent weeks, officials have warned women to respect the hijab law and have threatened to punish violators. The authorities have also shut down businesses, restaurants, cafes, and in some cases pharmacies due to the failure of owners or managers to observe Islamic laws and hijab rules.

Several Iranian cinematographers and prominent public figures have also been summoned by the police or arrested, including director Hamid Pourazari.

Other celebrities, including actor Hamid Farrokhnejad, have been interrogated and have had their passports confiscated after showing support for the protests.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

National Clean Air Day was not a cause for celebration this year in Tehran, where many residents were shuttered in their homes for their own safety to avoid exposure to the Iranian capital's infamous and deadly smog.

In the run-up to January 19, the day Iran dedicates to promoting air quality, students were prevented from attending universities and schools in the city of nearly 9 million people, the standard procedure when air pollution levels exceed safe levels.

Local officials decried the fact that there had only been two days of clean air recorded over the previous 10 months and called for more to be done to address the crisis.

And amid the criticism, which targeted the authorities' use of dirty mazut fuel oil to provide heat and power during a brutal cold snap, the national government presented a draft budget that would cut expenditures for combating air pollution by half.

Conflicting Approaches

The government's response highlighted the conflicting approaches and decades of misguided environmental policies that have contributed to Iran's air-pollution crisis, rendering toothless strict regulations passed in 2017 with the aim of tackling the issue.

As debates raged over government inaction, the Interior Ministry and Education Ministry backed the idea of lowering the air pollution index threshold that keeps students out of school.

Parliament passed the new budget in February, cutting funding for implementing the country's Clean Air Act from a mere $8 million to $4 million while emphasizing economic growth.

And answering calls for the Clean Air Act's strict standards to be enforced, the Tehran Prosecutor's Office pressed criminal charges against five unidentified bureaucrats who were in step with the government's pursuit of increased development and industrial production.

The management-level personnel, who work for various ministries that oversee Iran's environmental protection efforts and lucrative petroleum sector, stand accused of failing to adhere to standards set in the country's Clean Air Act on vehicle emissions and gasoline quality, and for failing to limit pollution from mazut-fueled industrial plants.

'Denying People A Breath'

Tehran and other major Iranian cities have long been among the world's worst when it comes to air pollution. Iran overall ranks sixth in the world in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Global Carbon Atlas, having more than doubled CO2 emissions in the past two decades.

"Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and air pollution is estimated to contribute to thousands of premature deaths each year" across the country, Iran environmental expert Shirin Hakim told RFE/RL in written comments. "Air pollution has led to the closing of businesses and schools, impacting economic productivity, and has contributed to a variety of health conditions, including respiratory conditions and cancers."

Iranian media and officials have decried the steadily rising levels of deadly sulfur dioxide recorded over Tehran in recent years, while experts at the air pollution research center at Tehran University have estimated that 40,000 premature deaths per year can be attributed to the smog and dust that fouls Iran's air.

Lawmaker Mohammad Reza Sabaghian put it simply in comments ahead of Clean Air Day, saying: "We are denying the people a breath."

Outdated cars and motorcycles burning low-quality fuels are frequently singled out as the major reasons for the air pollution that has plagued Tehran and other major cities, but they are far from the only ones.

"The overexploitation of water resources and climate change are contributing to the desertification of farmland and the drying up of bodies of water, which has contributed to dust and sandstorms that also diminish air quality," said Hakim, senior fellow at the Berlin-based Center for Middle East and Global Order (CMEG) and fellow at the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center.

Accelerated development and industrial activity outside urban centers have also contributed to increased emissions, Hakim said, as well as the rising migration of people to cities, which adds to the use of vehicles, dirty fuels, and acid rain and other pollutants.

Clean Air On Paper

The Clean Air Act, introduced in 2017 under then-President Hassan Rohani, was supposed to be the road map for solving Iran's environmental problems.

Among other things, the law targeted the use of mazut by greatly lowering the limits of sulfur allowed in fuel oil. It also called for the country's aging transportation network to be overhauled and required the Oil Ministry to produce higher standard and cleaner-burning "Euro 4" gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and other petroleum products.

Punishments and fines were set for industries and individuals that violated the regulations. But when natural gas shortages hit during the hard winter months this year, the Clean Air Act
was cast aside.

Faced with public anger over natural gas shortages that left many homes without heat and factories without power, officials gave the green light to burning more mazut to fuel thermal stations and industrial plants. The move sent plumes of noxious smoke into the air in Isfahan and other major cities, as well as in Tehran, despite official insistence that mazut was not used.

Officials in Isfahan demanded details of the government's decision, according to state news agency IRNA, declaring the burning of mazut a "serious danger" to human health. United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and the environment David Boyd called on Iran to halt the practice, declaring it a human rights violation.

Official Oil Ministry reports viewed by RFE/RL's Radio Farda showed that the country intensified its use of mazut in December to 38.5 million liters per day, a 22 percent increase, and 42 million liters per day in January. The report also showed that the production of mazut with a sulfur content of 3.5 percent -- up to seven times higher than the level allowed under the Clean Air Act -- rose significantly, and that only one-third of the gasoline produced in the country was of the required Euro 4 standard.

In response to the outcry, Iranian officials said the air pollution problem would be alleviated in the future by the increased production of natural gas and improvements to infrastructure, which have been stymied by international sanctions that have denied Iran access to foreign technologies.

Ali Salajegheh, the head of Iran’s Department of Environment, also remained bullish about the Clean Air Act, telling IRNA in January that the implementation of the legislation would be accelerated by the increase of "green tax" allocations separate from the state budget. Salajagheh did not provide a specific figure, only saying that 20 percent of the green taxes would be earmarked. Green taxes are those levied on activities that are deemed harmful to the environment.

The environment was seen as one of the biggest challenges faced by President Ebrahim Raisi when he took office in 2021. During his campaign, Raisi presented an "environmental charter" promising sustainable development and environmentally friendly policies as key components to Iranians' right to a "healthy environment, clean climate, and pollution free life."

But such promises have fallen short. Iran has increasingly turned to oil and gas production to pull it out of its extended economic crises. In addition to the increased production of mazut and other dirty fuels, Tehran has exempted some automotive manufacturers from installing air filters until international sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear program are lifted.

Raisi's presidency has been marked by protests in areas of the country hit hard by drought and the scarcity of water needed to sustain agriculture, despite the continued and contentious construction of new dam projects.

“Failed water governance has fueled such unrest in the past, according to Hakim, and "is contributing to desertification and the drying up of rivers and lakes that have contributed to economic and social ramifications."

The government has also failed to submit a carbon-cutting plan related to the Paris Agreement on climate change since 2015. Officials have said that Iran will not ratify the accord until international sanctions are lifted, arguing that access to modern foreign technology is key to reducing emissions.

Raisi stated that the goal of the government’s new budget was economic growth, reducing unemployment, and lowering skyrocketing inflation. The budget, 40 percent bigger than the last, is dependent on the export of 1.4 million barrels of oil per day despite international sanctions that hamper the country's ability to trade.

The cuts to expenditures on fighting air pollution "may have been driven by heightened social and economic tensions in the country," said Hakim. "The Islamic republic has routinely prioritized economic gains over social and environmental concerns."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will travel to Damascus on May 3, Iranian state media reported on April 30, touting a "very important" visit against the backdrop of increased regional engagement with the Syrian regime. Raisi's trip “is a very important trip due to the changes and developments that are taking place in the region," state news agency IRNA quoted Iranian Ambassador to Syria Hossein Akbari as saying. According to IRNA, Raisi will lead a "high economic-political delegation" in his two-day trip at the invitation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

A woman in the central Iranian province of Kerman has been killed during a confrontation between her family and a group of individuals enforcing the mandatory hijab policy as tensions over the policy remain high.

The trouble started when a group arrived at a tourist site and accused the women from one family of failing to comply with the country's strict hijab rules. The disagreement escalated and turned physical, resulting in the death of Kolsoom Oftadepour.

Sources told RFERL's Radio Farda that several women repeatedly warned a young girl to "fix her scarf" but she ignored them and entered the tourist site with her family.

The altercation grew, with women and men hurling sexual insults at the family, before one woman attacked Kolsoom Oftadepour, her daughter, and granddaughter with a slipper. Police officers arrived at the scene and sided with the hijab enforcers, sources say. The family is expected to appear in court on May 9.

The incident comes amid heated debate about Iran's mandatory hijab policy, which has been enforced since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

More and more women have been protesting and defying the dress code, leading to increased tensions and confrontations between citizens and so-called "morality police."

Anger over the rules boiled over in September 2022 with the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody for an alleged head-scarf offense.

Thousands of women and girls have since taken to the streets to protest against the government's interference in their daily lives. Many have taken their hijabs and burned them in protest in what is one of the stiffest challenges to the Islamic leadership since the 1979 revolution.

In recent weeks, there have been several reports of plainclothes security agents appearing in public spaces throughout the country, warning women to observe the mandatory hijab law.

Official Iranian media outlets, as well as activists, have given differing accounts of the events leading to Kalsoom's death.

While some initially referred to the enforcers as "bus passengers visiting the grave of Qasem Soleimani," others claimed it was a "collective dispute."

Sources close to the Oftadepour family have rejected such allegations, insisting that Kalsoom's death must not be trivialized and calling for the identification of the harassers.

RFE/RL has learned that Oftadepour's family has come under intense pressure from officials to refrain from sharing information or giving interviews to the media.

The hijab became mandatory in Iran shortly after the 1979 revolution by order of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic. However, no law was passed at that time restricting women's clothing in Iran.

Despite more than four decades of compulsory hijab enforcement under the Islamic republic, Iran has recently seen widespread and comprehensive protests condemning the compulsory hijab and demanding the overthrow of the Islamic republic system.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

A group of families of Iranian political prisoners killed in the 1980s and Baha'is have launched a campaign condemning the Intelligence Ministry for pressuring Baha'i families to bury their dead in the mass graves occupied by prisoners executed in the 1988 massacre.

A group of the families on April 27 launched the Khavaran Perseverance Campaign, which rights activist Reza Moeini said aimed to prevent the government from erasing the memory of those executed and preserving the dignity of the deceased.

Mehrangiz Kar, a lawyer and human rights advocate, said that the pressure to bury both groups together showed how the Baha'is are being oppressed by the government both while living and once deceased.

She noted the government's confiscation and demolition of Baha'i cemeteries called "Golestan Javid" in Tehran and other cities. Kar added that the Intelligence Ministry had, for the past two years, denied Baha'is permission to bury their deceased according to their own rites, even in areas adjacent to Khavaran.

The Khavaran cemetery in the east of the capital was traditionally a final resting place for members of religious minorities who were interred there to keep them separate from the graves of Muslims.

But following the mass executions, Khavaran became best-known as a secret burial ground for some of the thousands killed.

The graves at Khavaran are unmarked, and Tehran has for decades barred families of the dead from mourning there and punished those who left flowers and mementos.

The strict official stance has contributed to accusations that Tehran has attempted to cover up the killings of dissidents and religious minorities by death squads and has even desecrated the burial sites of victims.

Iran accuses Baha'is of having links to Israel, where the city of Haifa hosts a center of the Baha'i faith. Baha'i leaders reject the allegations and say they are used as a pretext to persecute members.

There are some 300,000 Baha'i adherents in Iran and an estimated 5 million followers worldwide.

In Iran, where their faith is not officially recognized in the constitution, its leaders say they face systematic persecution.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has on several occasions called the Baha'i faith a cult and, in a religious fatwa issued in 2018, he forbade contact, including business dealings, with followers of the faith.

Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was established in 1979, hundreds of Baha'is have been arrested and jailed for their beliefs. At least 200 have been executed or were arrested and never heard from again.

Thousands more have been banned from receiving higher education or had their property confiscated, while vandals often desecrate Baha'i cemeteries.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iranian political activist Abdollah Momeni did not mince his words when describing the clerical establishment, comparing it to a drunken captain steering his ship toward a cliff.

The passengers on the ship, Momeni said, needed to take control and change course before it was too late.

“I believe the Iranian nation is currently facing such a situation,” Momeni said. “Finding a way to save Iran…is the natural reaction of the people, who want to prevent the destruction of their today and the tomorrow of their children.”

Momeni, a former student leader who was previously jailed, made the comments during a virtual event on the popular app Clubhouse during which dozens of rights campaigners, political prisoners, and academics called for a transition to a new, democratic political system in Iran.

Days later, on April 27, police arrested Momeni at his home in Tehran and confiscated his electronic devices.

Two others were also arrested over the Clubhouse meeting: journalist Kayvan Samimi and political activist and publisher Alireza Beheshti Shirazi.

The arrests come amid a state crackdown on dissent in the wake of the antiestablishment protests that rocked the country for months. The demonstrations that erupted in September were the biggest challenge to the clerical regime in years.

During the rallies, protesters called for greater social and political freedoms and the end of clerical rule. Opposition figures and civil society groups have called for a referendum on protesters' demands and the drafting of a new constitution that could pave the way for a new political system.

More than 40 prominent figures inside and outside of Iran spoke at the Clubhouse event -- called To Save Iran -- held on April 21. Many of them blasted the political repression and economic incompetence of the clerical establishment.

Nine of the attendees shared their written comments from prison, including jailed rights advocate Narges Mohammadi, reformist politician Mostafa Tajzadeh, and sociologist Saeed Madani.

Some of the participants were former aides or advisers to opposition figure Mir Hossein Musavi, a former prime minister who has been under house arrest since 2011.

In February, the 80-year-old called for the "fundamental transformation" of Iran's theocratic political system, proposing the holding of a "free" referendum and the drafting of a new constitution. The proposal received support from prominent figures inside and outside the country.

Shirazi, who served as an adviser to Musavi, was arrested on April 25. During the virtual meeting, he said “change is a certainty, and we must prepare ourselves for it."

Ghorban Behzadian Nejad, the head of Musavi’s 2009 presidential election campaign, was summoned for questioning after the Clubhouse meeting. During the event, Nejad said Iran was caught in “a whirlwind of crisis.”

Reports said police searched his house in Tehran and confiscated his personal belongings. He was told to appear in court on April 30, the reports said.

Samimi, a veteran journalist who was among the three arrested over the Clubhouse event, called for the creation of a democratic “front” that would bring together Iranians inside and outside the country opposed to the regime.

“Those inside the country are likely to face pressure, threats, and arrests, but have no fear because others from the front outside the country will work with international organizations and even some governments to create pressure and secure the release of those who might get arrested,” said Samimi, in a recorded video message shown during the meeting.

The 74-year-old was arrested on April 20, just a day before the online meeting. He has been arrested on several occasions in the past.

Clubhouse has become a major platform for dialogue among Iranians who join virtual chat rooms to hear from analysts, journalists, and dissidents. The April 21 discussion was open to the public, and a list of the speakers was announced ahead of time.

It was unclear what Momeni, Shirazi, and Samimi were charged with.

The news site Jamejamonline, affiliated with Iran’s state TV, said Shirazi and Nejad were facing charges over their alleged ties to “the opposition outside the country and anti-revolutionary individuals.”

Paris-based political activist Mohammad Javad Akbarein, one of the organizers of the online meeting, said the state crackdown will not deter dissenters.

“Yes, [the authorities] arrest them,” he said. “They’ve already arrested three over the meeting, and there could be more arrests. But the establishment has obviously failed when it uses all the tools of [repression] and still doesn’t control the courage [of the people].”

The United States on April 27 added new sanctions against the intelligence unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) for allegedly taking part in the detention of Americans in Iran and Russia.

In announcing the sanctions, the United States accused the FSB and the IRGC of being responsible or complicit in the wrongful detention of Americans such as Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

"Today's action targets senior officials and security services in Iran and Russia that are responsible for the hostage-taking or wrongful detention of U.S. nationals abroad," Brian Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement. “We are committed to bringing home wrongfully detained U.S. nationals and acting against foreign threats to the safety of U.S. nationals abroad.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has no higher commitment than bringing home the detained Americans.

"Russia’s and Iran’s continued pattern of wrongfully detaining U.S. nationals is unacceptable," Blinken said in a statement. "The United States will never stop working to secure the release of U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage and reunite them with their loved ones."

The fresh sanctions imposed on the IRGC's intelligence unit name four leaders of the organization, including at least one who is already subject to previous U.S. sanctions.

The FSB also has been previously designated for sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department. OFAC said its action on April 27 against the FSB implemented the State Department's designation of the Russian organization.

The move aims to show that there will be consequences for those who tried to use U.S. citizens for political leverage or seek concessions from Washington, Biden administration officials stressed.

"Our action is a warning to those around the world who would wrongfully detain U.S. nationals of the potential consequences of their actions," a senior administration official said, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity during a conference call.

"Today's sanctions are one of a series of efforts -- some public like this, some private -- to secure the release of U.S. nationals wrongfully held overseas, to promote accountability for the culprits, and by doing so, to prevent and deter the next set of cases from arising in the first place," the official said.

Russia and Iran hold a number of American citizens in their prisons. Gershkovich was arrested by the FSB last month and charged with espionage. He, his newspaper, and U.S. government officials have strongly denied any wrongdoing.

The plight of Americans detained by foreign governments moved into the spotlight last year with the detention of women’s basketball star Brittney Griner, who was held in Russia on drug charges until a prisoner swap in December that freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout from a U.S. prison.

The Treasury Department’s statement named Ruhollah Bazghandi, Mohammad Kazemi, Mohamad Mehdi Sayyari, and Mohammad Hasan Mohagheghi, saying they have leadership positions in the IRGC’s intelligence unit and have been involved with the detention of foreign prisoners held in Iran.

The sanctions freeze any property in U.S. jurisdiction owned by the individuals and entities named. They also bar U.S. persons from any dealings with the people and entities.

Although the U.S. government does not provide figures, there are 53 publicly disclosed hostage and wrongful detentions cases, according to the James Foley Foundation, named after an American journalist abducted and killed in Syria.

With reporting by Reuters

Iranian forces have seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in international waters in the Gulf of Oman, the U.S. Navy and Iranian state media reported on April 27, the latest string of hijackings in the region began in 2019 after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Iranian state media said the Iranian army’s naval force seized the vessels after a collision with an Iranian boat. Two members of the boat's crew are missing, and several other crewmen were injured in the collision, state media said.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet also reported the seizure but did not mention a collision. The 5th Fleet identified the tanker as the Advantage Sweet and said the seizure was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. local time while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the 5th Fleet said in a statement.

"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said. "Iran should immediately release the oil tanker."

Tracking data from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman north of Muscat, capital of Oman, on April 27.

According to ship tracking data quoted by Reuters, the Advantage Sweet was chartered by oil company Chevron and last docked in Kuwait.

Chevron is aware of the situation and is in contact with the vessel operator "with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible," a company spokesperson said, according to Reuters.

The Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator also said it was aware of the situation and in communication with the vessel's owner/operator but declined to comment further, the news agency reported.

The vessel's destination was listed as the U.S. port of Houston, Texas, ship tracking data showed.

The 5th Fleet said the seizure was at least the fifth of a commercial vessel by Tehran in the last two years.

"Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy," it said.

Since Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2017, Washington has ratcheted up crippling sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

Last November, two Greek-flagged tankers were released by Iran after it had seized them several months earlier. Tehran took the ships hostage after the United States confiscated oil from an Iranian tanker near the Greek coast.

Talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers have stalled since September over a range of issues, including Iran's violent crackdown on dissent, Tehran's sale of drones to Russia, and an acceleration of its nuclear program, which it claims is solely for civilian purposes.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Plainclothes security agents are reportedly appearing in public spaces throughout the Iranian capital of Tehran, warning women to observe the mandatory hijab law amid a wave of defiance against the dress code following the death of a young woman while in police custody for an alleged head scarf offense.

According to eyewitness accounts, groups of women and men dressed according to the Islamic republic's standards were seen in various parts of central Tehran advising women on the necessity of observing the mandatory hijab law, which requires women to cover their hair and wear modest clothing. People in the Tehran City Theater complex also reported similar sightings on the same day.

Images circulated on social media on April 27 of agents entering the Mega Mall shopping center in Tehran’s western neighborhood of Ekbatan, where they looked to enforce the mandatory dress code.

The increased presence of government-affiliated individuals enforcing the hijab law comes as daily images are published of women in different cities and age groups appearing in public and crowded spaces without head scarves.

Recent videos from music concerts also have shown disputes over the hijab, where the majority of women are often not wearing the mandatory hijab. In response to this defiance, an unspecified number of commercial establishments, including music clubs and restaurants, in Tehran and other cities have been sealed shut due to noncompliance with the hijab law.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September prompted thousands of women and girls to take to the streets to protest against the government's interference in their daily lives. Many have taken their hijabs and burned them in a sign of protest in what is one of the stiffest challenges to the Islamic leadership since the 1979 revolution.

The resurgence of "verbal warnings" to women comes as officials say they will use "smart tools" to enforce the rules while trying to prevent "tensions" and "harassment." Police reportedly started using closed-circuit cameras and smart systems in cities to identify women without the mandatory hijab earlier this month.

The hijab became mandatory in Iran shortly after the 1979 revolution by order of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic. However, no law had been passed at that time restricting women's clothing in Iran.

Despite more than four decades of compulsory hijab enforcement under the Islamic republic, Iran has recently seen widespread and comprehensive protests condemning the compulsory hijab and demanding the overthrow of the Islamic republic system.

Numerous protests have been held at universities, particularly in Tehran, where many students have refused to attend class. Protesting students have chanted "Woman, life, freedom" and "Death to the dictator" at the rallies.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Three prominent Tehran-based journalists -- Saeedeh Shafiei, Mehrnoush Zarei, and Nasim Soltanbeigi -- have been summoned separately to Evin's Moghaddasi Courthouse on charges that their reporting produced "propaganda against the system."

The activist HRANA news agency reported on April 27 that the journalists received separate summonses asking them to appear within five days to present their defense against the charges at the Evin Courthouse.

The summonses come amid increased scrutiny of media professionals in the country, as the authorities attempt to tighten control over the dissemination of information amid widespread protests on issues ranging from living conditions, wages, and a lack of rights and freedoms.

A report by the Tehran Journalists' Association showed that since the nationwide protests intensified following the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for an alleged head scarf violation, some 70 journalists have been arrested and several others summoned to appear in court.

In the cases against Shafiei, Zarei, and Soltanbeigi, the government has cited their articles and writing as evidence of producing "propaganda against the system." They deny the charges.

Soltanbeigi was first arrested last December at Tehran's Khomeini International Airport while attempting to travel abroad. After being detained for over a month, she was temporarily released on bail on February 7 until the end of the legal proceedings.

Soltanbeigi was a student activist in the 2000s and has been working as a journalist for various Iranian publications in recent years.

She was held for eight days in 2006 for attending a "Women for Change" rally before a court sentenced her to a suspended sentence of five years. She was placed on probation for two years and told that her sentence would be canceled if she did not violate the terms of her probation.

Zarei, a veteran Iranian journalist, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on January 22. She was subsequently transferred to the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence detention center. Like Soltanbeigi, Zarei was released on bail in late February.

Similarly, Shafiei was arrested by security forces in Tehran on January 22. She was temporarily released on bail of 5 billion Iranian rials (approximately $9500) on February 8 until the end of the legal proceedings.

The new summons come amid unprecedented shows of defiance by women and schoolgirls in what appears to be the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.

Amini died just days after being detained by Tehran's notorious morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict female dress code. Authorities have blamed "underlying diseases" for the cause of death, but supporters and family members say Amini was beaten while in custody.

The protests have seen more than 500 people killed and thousands detained, according to human rights groups. Despite government warnings that the crackdown will intensify, Iranians continue to take to the streets.

Several thousand others have been arrested since Amini's death, including many protesters, lawyers, activists, and digital-rights defenders.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Clashes have erupted between security forces and civilians in the southeastern Iranian city of Fanouj amid protests sparked by the death of a teen when his motorcycle collided with a police car.

In response to the protests on April 25, the deputy of the police command in the region, Ali Rahimi, said expert teams have been dispatched to investigate the possible role of police officers in inciting the violence after the accident, which left 16-year-old Samir Gerdehani dead.

Although the situation in the town, located in Sistan-Baluchistan Province, has been described by police as "calm" and "normal," residents said tensions remain high amid claims that officers fired on the crowd during the protest.

Officials have not commented on what caused Gerdehani's death.

Videos on social media show protesters throwing rocks at a police station, with the sound of gunshots in the background. Local sources, including the news site Haalvsh, reported that police officers fired on the crowds, leaving several people injured.

Haalvsh reported that in addition to Gerdehani, three other motorcyclists also were injured after being hit by a police vehicle, while three others were injured from gunfire. One of the wounded is in a coma, Haalvsh added, quoting sources.

The province of Sistan-Baluchistan in the southeast of Iran has been the epicenter of protests in Iran for months.

In Zahedan on September 30, almost 100 people were killed and hundreds injured by security forces amid unrest triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl by a local police commander.

The government has unleashed a brutal crackdown to quell the unrest -- one of the deepest challenges to the Islamic regime since the revolution in 1979 -- that erupted following Amini's death.

Sunni Muslims make up a majority of the population in Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan and Kurdistan provinces, but account for only about 10 percent of the population in Shi'a-dominated Iran overall.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what I've been following during the past week and what I'm watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled out holding a referendum on key national issues, a demand made by antiestablishment protesters, activists, and opposition figures.

"Where in the world is this done? Is it possible to hold a referendum for various issues of the country?" Khamenei, who has the final say on all important matters of the state, said during a meeting with students on April 18.

According to Iran's constitution, a referendum can be held on "extremely important economic, political, social, and cultural matters." A vote can only be called with the approval of two-thirds of parliament.

Why It Matters: Khamenei's rejection of a referendum appears to be in response to a call by former President Hassan Rohani, a relative moderate, who recently suggested that holding a popular vote on domestic, economic, and foreign policy matters could resolve the unrest in the country.

Iran was gripped by months of antiestablishment protests that erupted in September, the biggest challenge to the Islamic republic in decades. Many protesters demanded greater social and political freedom and the end of clerical rule.

In recent months, some opposition figures and civil society groups have called for a referendum on protesters' demands. They include opposition figure Mir Hossein Musavi and Iran's top Sunni cleric, Molavi Abdolhamid. Others have called for the drafting of a new constitution that could pave the way for a new political system.

What's Next: Khamenei's dismissal of a referendum, although not surprising, has been criticized by some Iranians.

Some accused the Iranian leader of double standards, saying he has previously called for a referendum to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Others noted that the current clerical system was established after a referendum was held soon after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

In his comments, Khamenei had also questioned whether voters had the "capacity" to make informed choices on important state matters if a referendum were to be held.

"If we don't have the capacity to analyze and take part in a referendum, then why do we have the capacity when it comes to noncompetitive elections?" the Islamic Association of University Teachers said in a statement.

Paris-based analyst Reza Alijani told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Khamenei has monopolized power and has "issues even with regime insiders." "He opposed a referendum, which Rohani called for based on the constitution, unlike Musavi and others who have demanded a referendum that goes beyond the constitution," Alijani said.

Stories You Might Have Missed

A U.S.-trained professor at the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the University of Tehran said he was fired after he came out in support of nationwide protests against the clerical establishment. Many Iranian university professors have faced expulsion for their support of the demonstrations, while others have already been pushed from their jobs.

Iranian former crown prince Reza Pahlavi's recent visit to Israel, Tehran's arch foe, courted controversy. Some Iranians criticized Pahlavi for being silent on the plight of Palestinians. Others questioned why he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when tens of thousands of Israelis are protesting his controversial plan to overhaul the judiciary.

What We're Watching

Hamed Esmaeilion has announced he is leaving an alliance of exiled Iranian opposition figures and celebrities.

The Alliance for Democracy and Freedom in Iran was formed in February and includes Pahlavi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, rights activist Masih Alinejad, actress Nazanin Boniadi, and Abdullah Mohtadi, the leader of a Kurdish political party.

In March, the alliance issued a charter for a transition to a new, secular democratic system that would be followed by free elections. The group has called for international efforts to isolate Iran's clerical establishment.

Esmailion, who was the spokesman of a Canada-based association that represented the families of the victims of a passenger flight that was shot down in Iran in 2020, said he quit because of "anti-democratic" attempts by "pressure groups" to impose their views on the alliance.

Why It Matters: Esmailion's withdrawal suggests Iran's exiled opposition has been unable to end infighting and bridge their differences. Further withdrawals could lead to the collapse of the alliance.

Prominent Tehran-based analyst Sadegh Zibalakam said the exiled opposition "only agrees on opposing the Islamic republic." "Outside of their opposition to the clerical establishment, they don't have much of a [policy],' he said on Twitter.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Golnaz Esfandiari

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