Officials in the Iranian capital, Tehran, have sent a letter to trade unions that calls for stricter enforcement and adherence to the mandatory hijab in stores and businesses.
According to the letter, a copy of which was obtained by RFERL’s Radio Farda, the order was issued to trade unions in the capital based on the Hijab and Chastity Law and with the aim of preventing the "spread of the culture of not wearing a hijab."
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.
In recent weeks, numerous reports have been published detailing moves by authorities to seal businesses, restaurants, cafes, and in some cases even pharmacies because of owners and managers failing to observe Islamic laws and mandatory hijab rules.
The wave of closings comes amid the monthslong public anger that erupted after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in September while in custody after being detained by morality police in Tehran for "improperly" wearing a head scarf.
Since Amini's death, Iranians have flooded into the streets across the country to protest against a lack of rights, with women and schoolgirls making unprecedented shows of support in the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
In response, the authorities have launched a brutal crackdown on dissent, detaining thousands and handing down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.