Overview

• The Sicherheitsrat, Iran's Supreme Council for National Security, has blocked the implementation of a stricter hijab law passed by parliament.
• The proposed law included harsher penalties such as heavy fines, withdrawal of public services, and imprisonment for repeat offenders.
• President Massud Peseschkian vetoed the law in December 2024, citing fears of renewed protests and unrest, and referred it to the Sicherheitsrat for review.
• The hijab mandate remains a core ideological issue in Iran, but widespread resistance has grown, particularly after the 2022 protests sparked by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini.
• This decision underscores the ongoing power struggle between hardliners advocating for stricter Islamic values and moderates pushing for reform.