Iran says assets of 40 accused of ‘treason’ seized
Iran’s judiciary said on Wednesday it had seized the assets of 40 people in the western province of Hamedan accused of “treason” and “cooperation with hostile networks.”
Iran’s judiciary said on Wednesday it had seized the assets of 40 people in the western province of Hamedan accused of “treason” and “cooperation with hostile networks.”
A hardline cleric’s attack on unveiled women, even as Iranian state media showcased them at pro-government rallies to signal broad wartime support, has exposed tensions within the establishment over hijab enforcement.
In the northern city of Rasht, Friday prayer leader Rasoul Fallahi delivered a fiery speech during one of the nightly pro-government gatherings held since the outbreak of the recent war.
Speaking to supporters, he accused unveiled women of standing against “the system and the Quran,” calling them “immoral and immodest.” He also attacked male relatives of such women, describing their fathers, husbands and brothers as “dishonorable.”
Addressing women seen without hijab at the events and elsewhere, Fallahi warned: “Do not think these people will put up with you.” He escalated his rhetoric further by saying that if the public decided to confront them, “they would do something that would make you no longer dare to leave your homes.”
The speech, broadcast live on provincial television, quickly spread across Iran’s domestic online space and reignited debate over hijab enforcement during wartime.
The conservative-leaning outlet Fararu addressed the issue in an article titled, Why Are Unveiled Women Being Attacked?
“From the parade of ‘Self-Sacrificing Volunteer Girls’ to nightly gatherings supporting fighters, camera lenses seek out women with such appearances to show that all segments of society are present among supporters of the homeland,” the editorial read.
The apparent contradiction—highlighting unveiled women in official imagery while condemning them from the pulpit—has not gone unnoticed.
Supporters of stricter dress codes, including clerics like Fallahi, argue that hijab compliance is mandated by Iranian law. They often cite remarks by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who said several years ago that failing to observe hijab was both “religiously and politically forbidden.”
But Fallahi’s remarks have also drawn criticism from some clerics aligned with the government who argue that emphasizing such issues during wartime risks undermining national unity.
Abdolreza Pourzahabi, the Supreme Leader’s representative in Kurdistan province, cautioned against divisive rhetoric.
“We should not focus on points of division and disturb social calm, causing people already dealing with war to also have to answer for their hijab,” he said.
The debate has also fueled backlash online.
One user wrote: “So if there were no war, the law should be enforced and unveiled women would be beaten, arrested and imprisoned—but because the country is at war and needs people’s presence, it’s temporarily acceptable?”
The broader backdrop dates to September 2022, when the death of Mahsa Amini in custody triggered the nationwide “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests. Since then, authorities have largely avoided aggressive street enforcement of hijab laws for fear of reigniting unrest.
Restrictions nevertheless remain firmly in place in official settings. Women without hijab can still be denied entry to government offices, hospitals and courts, while mandatory hijab rules continue to apply in schools.
Enforcement also varies sharply across the country. In more religious cities such as Qom, stricter measures are still reported.
A user recently wrote on X that while shopping in Qom, an officer shouted at her to observe hijab. When she ignored him, she said he placed his hand on his weapon and threatened to impound her car if she could not find something to cover her head, photographing both her and her license plate.
The dispute reflects a deeper uncertainty within the Islamic Republic: whether the wartime softening around hijab is merely tactical, or a recognition that strict enforcement now carries political risks the state can no longer fully control.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding talks on Wednesday with officials in the Trump administration to better understand the latest developments in negotiations between the United States and Iran, CNN reported, citing an Israeli source familiar with the details.
Netanyahu is seeking updates on the state of the negotiations and wants to understand what is currently on the table, the report said.
Israel is concerned about possible last-minute US concessions aimed at securing an agreement to end the war with Iran, the report added citing the source.
Israel is particularly worried about the possible lifting of economic sanctions on Iran and is pushing for restrictions on Iran’s allied groups in the region and ballistic missile program.
Israel also wants to ensure any agreement preserves the Israeli military’s freedom of action against regional threats, the report added
Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Wednesday the military has a “series of targets” ready to strike in Iran if the war resumes.
“Cooperation with the United States military and coordination continue at all times, and we are monitoring the situation,” Zamir said.
“In Iran, we have a further series of targets ready for attack. We are on high alert to return to an intense and broad campaign that will allow us to deepen our achievements and further weaken the Iranian regime,” he added.
France and its partners are able to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron’s Elysee office said on Wednesday.
France wants the issue of the Strait of Hormuz to remain separate from current talks between the United States and Iran, it added.
France’s military earlier said the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group was moving into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as part of efforts by France and Britain to prepare for a possible future mission to help ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States and Iran are moving closer to an agreement on a short memorandum aimed at ending the war, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing a regional source familiar with the negotiations.
The White House received positive feedback from Pakistani mediators on Tuesday that Iran was progressing toward a compromise, the report said, citing two Trump administration officials.
A renewed diplomatic push has emerged in recent days, the report said, citing the regional source.
US President Donald Trump appears to be simplifying issues in peace negotiations so moderates in Iran can return to the negotiating table, CNN quoted the source as saying.
A one-page plan being discussed internally would declare an end to the war and trigger a 30-day negotiation period on unresolved issues including nuclear issues, unfreezing Iranian assets and future security in the Strait of Hormuz, the report said, citing a person familiar with the plan.
The proposal would include discussion of a moratorium on uranium enrichment for longer than 10 years, the report said, citing the source.
The plan would also require Iran to ship its stockpile of highly enriched uranium out of the country, although details were still being negotiated, the report said.
Positive feedback from Pakistani mediators helped spur Trump to announce a pause in “Project Freedom,” an operation to guide stranded ships out of the strait, the report said, citing administration officials.
The harder the US pushed Project Freedom and Operation Epic Fury, the more hardliners in Iran gained influence, CNN quoted the regional source as saying.
Trump’s top priority is finding a diplomatic off-ramp to the war and reopening the strait swiftly, the report said, citing administration officials.
