Iran’s judiciary spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that hijab laws remain in force, amid renewed debate over the enforcement of the Islamic Republic's compulsory veiling as public flouting of the policy appears more widespread.
Ali-Asghar Jahangir's remarks come after conservative politician Mohammad Reza Bahonar suggested there was no binding hijab law, a comment that sparked controversy among hardline figures, which he later retracted.
Jahangir said Bahonar had since “corrected his statement,” adding that enforcement of hijab-related penalties continues under existing laws.
Earlier this month, Bahonar said the Hijab and Chastity Law, which Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) quietly suspended in May, was “no longer legally enforceable.”
He also said that while some in Iran insist hijab must be compulsory, he has “never believed in the mandatory hijab — not from the beginning, and not now.”
Following backlash from Tehran’s ultra-hardliners, Bahonar on Saturday retracted his remarks opposing the mandatory hijab, calling it a “social necessity” and urging punishment for those who defy it.
The issue remains a flashpoint since the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, which sparked nationwide protests, with more women refusing to comply with compulsory hijab rules in public despite warnings, fines and surveillance.
Across major cities, women are increasingly seen without headscarves in public spaces, often posting videos online in acts of civil disobedience.
According to a 2022 survey by independent Netherlands-based research group GAMAAN, over 70 percent of men and women in Iran opposed mandatory hijab laws.
