Iran army says borders now monitored by advanced sensors, cameras
Iran’s army has expanded electronic surveillance along its borders using advanced cameras and sensors, the commander of the army’s ground forces said on Tuesday.
Iran’s army has expanded electronic surveillance along its borders using advanced cameras and sensors, the commander of the army’s ground forces said on Tuesday.
Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi told reporters that the upgrades are part of a broader effort to strengthen defenses and prevent illegal crossings. “In addition to new bases and watchtowers, border monitoring is being carried out electronically with advanced cameras and sensors,” he said.
He said construction of a border wall in eastern Iran is under way using domestic contractors and materials, combined with wire fencing and electronic detection systems. The aim, he said, is to curb smuggling and unauthorized movement across the frontier.
Jahanshahi added that the army’s ground forces, operating ten combat brigades, defend Iran’s western, southern and eastern borders alongside police and border guards. The joint operations, he said, have been effective in reducing drug trafficking and cross-border crime.
He also announced plans for a new “Eghtedar” (Power) military exercise in central Iran, saying recent drills have focused on upgrading weapons, tactics and coordination with other branches of the armed forces.
The ministry told Iran International that since the June 2025 Iran-Israel hostilities, the embassy has worked in a limited capacity, and both the embassy and its visa section “will, for the foreseeable future, have only a fraction of the personnel” they had before the temporary shutdown.
The reduction of operations “is due in particular to Iran’s restrictive policy on accrediting diplomatic personnel,” read the statement.
Despite the squeeze, Berlin said processing has been gradually expanded in recent weeks by outsourcing application intake to an external service provider and moving case handling to the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs.
“These steps have created additional processing capacity,” the ministry said, adding that the changes especially benefit student-visa applicants and Iranian physicians applying for visas to complete professional recognition procedures in Germany.
Appointment rules have also been adjusted “to ensure the largest possible number of applications can be accepted via the external provider,” the Foreign Office said.
It cautioned, however, that “despite these tangible improvements,” limitations at the Tehran post will remain for the time being.
Germany’s visa services in Tehran have operated at reduced capacity since the June 2025 Iran–Israel conflict, when the embassy temporarily closed, canceled appointments, and said new dates would be issued automatically as capacity allows.
Applicants report prolonged delays and uncertainty, staging weekly protests outside the embassy and TLScontact.
Iranian paper Shargh estimated more than 6,000 delayed cases, including about 4,000 family-reunification files, while IRNA previously put 3,000–4,000 Iranian passports as stuck in foreign missions after wartime closures.
In a letter addressed to Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, 155 members of parliament said the judiciary had become passive in applying regulations on Islamic dress and public behavior.
They urged the courts to “restore governance” by ensuring that all state bodies enforce existing rules while the government’s postponed hijab law remains under review.
“The judiciary cannot remain passive toward failures by executive bodies,” the lawmakers wrote, accusing some judges and officials of “negligence” that had allowed “moral decline” and “social abnormalities” to spread.
The lawmakers urged action on the Chastity and Hijab law—formally called the Law on Protection of the Family Through Promotion of Chastity and Hijab—which was approved by parliament but has yet to be sent to the government for implementation.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has faced mounting criticism from hardline lawmakers who accuse him of withholding the legislation.
Tehran MP Kamran Ghazanfari on Tuesday said Ghalibaf had refused to finalize the law since September last year, calling the delay a violation of his legal duty.
“This means obstructing the implementation of a Quranic and divine command,” he told parliament, accusing the speaker of “ignoring repeated calls” from clerics and legislators and allowing “immodesty and corruption” to spread.
Government signals caution
Also on Tuesday, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said ministries have submitted periodic reports on the status of hijab enforcement to President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“The hijab report has been delivered on time to the president and the Supreme Leader, and action will be taken to curb organized movements,” she said, adding that each ministry provides updates according to its responsibilities within specific time frames.
Supreme leader’s directive
Tensions rose further last week when a leaked audio file suggested Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had issued a written order to step up enforcement of Islamic dress codes after reviewing an intelligence ministry report warning of “erosion of discipline.”
Officials later confirmed the directive but denied any dispute within the cabinet. Conservative outlets described it as an “explicit call for decisive action” against violations of the hijab law.
Despite growing pressure, many women and girls continue to appear unveiled in public. The Associated Press reported last week that uncovered women were seen walking freely in Tehran’s markets, metro stations and schools, often without interference from police.
Analysts say authorities are wary of large-scale crackdowns that could reignite unrest. “The scale of disobedience is unprecedented,” said Iran analyst Holly Dagres. “Another coercive campaign could spark protests they cannot contain.”
Iranian media last week reported police raided a film star’s home in Tehran, detaining more than 20 people and seizing homemade alcohol – contraband under Iranian law – with several attendees later freed on undertakings or bail.
“In today’s Iran, no one outside the ruling inner circle is safe from state intrusion—even as officials enjoy lavish parties of their own, laying bare the hypocrisy behind what they call upholding values... While officials claim to defend Islamic values, their real objective is absolute control over society,” read the post.
Authorities frequently announce closures and arrests tied to alcohol, mixed-gender events or dress-code enforcement as part of broader morality crackdowns, according to state-aligned and independent outlets.
Panahi – one of Iran’s most acclaimed directors and a recent Palme d’Or winner at Cannes – has faced recurring curbs on his work and movement over the past decade.
Alcohol has been banned in Iran since 1979, with violations punishable by fines, lashings or prison, and tougher penalties for production and distribution.
Publicized raids on cafés and private venues have increased in recent years, while rights groups and local officials periodically report poisonings from unregulated liquor in the underground market.
Iranian officials say strict enforcement upholds Islamic norms and deters smuggling; critics argue decades of prohibition have pushed consumption into riskier, unregulated channels.
