Iran grapples over social freedoms after war with Israel

Tehran, Iran – President Masoud Pezeshkian unveiled a “Gen Z adviser” astir a period ago, posing for a smiling photograph with him that went viral online.

The adviser, Amirreza Ahmadi, told section media that helium sees his ngo arsenic listening to the younker of Iran, “from Tehran to the borders of this country”, going truthful acold arsenic to stock his mobile number.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Is Trump pushing for authorities alteration successful Venezuela; wherever other is helium meddling?
• list 2 of 3The emergence of planetary boycotts against Israel’s genocide successful Gaza
• list 3 of 3Iran says restrictions connected atomic programme ‘terminated’ arsenic woody expires

But helium aboriginal blocked commenting connected his societal media profiles aft disapproval from users who claimed that Ahmadi did not “resemble” Gen Z Iranians, was utilizing bots to boost his societal media accounts, and had nary established transportation with younker groups oregon students demanding change.

The assignment appears to person been portion of an effort by the mean administration, which promised improved societal freedoms and lifted sanctions during predetermination campaigns, to link with younger generations, who person been driving governmental alteration crossed Asia and globally.

Pezeshkian and his medication person struggled, though – partially arsenic a effect of indifference from galore young Iranians to their overtures, and partially due to the fact that galore of the Iranian establishment’s much hardline factions person small involvement successful appeasing the youth.

Sanam Vakil, manager of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, said the Iranian authorities is struggling to talk the connection of a procreation that grew up online and extracurricular its ideological frame.

People successful the Tajrish Bazaar aft ceasefire betwixt Iran and Israel, successful Tehran, June 26, 2025 [Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]

As such, she added, its outreach “feels transactional alternatively than transformative and yet is directed to staving disconnected unrest and protests”, portion the hardline elite’s fearfulness of losing power outweighs immoderate interest astir losing the young.

“That imbalance keeps Iran locked successful a authorities of repression alternatively than renewal. I deliberation the strategy volition beryllium locked betwixt conflicting messages, narratives, and policies,” she told Al Jazeera.

Many of the radical defying aspects of authorities controls are Gen Z youth, who are, similar astir Iranians, besides crushed by the deteriorating economical conditions and rampant ostentation amid corruption and mismanagement.

Testing the boundaries

With Israel and its Western allies openly touting authorities alteration successful Iran since the 12-day warfare betwixt them successful June, authorities accidental they recognise that nationalist enactment is needed to get the state done hard conditions, including reinstated UN sanctions and the lingering menace of war.

This forced immoderate officials, mostly those successful the much mean oregon pragmatic camps, to advocator for dialling down immoderate controls connected societal freedoms.

Former President Hassan Rouhani, a mean campy leader, past week criticised hardline lawmakers and politicians for advancing authorities opposed by an overwhelming bulk of Iranians, successful a apt notation to the contentious contented of mandatory hijab.

The authorities has said it volition not enforce the law.

Iranshahr, Tehran

pic.twitter.com/8nIaJAZVAO

— Arash Azizi آرش عزیزی (@arash_tehran) October 25, 2025

But, connected the different hand, hardline factions wrong the establishment person mobilised to reintroduce arsenic galore restrictions arsenic possible.

A video recorded successful downtown Tehran went viral online this week, showing young men and women, who disregarded the formal codification imposed by the theological establishment, enjoying a thoroughfare euphony performance.

After years of musicians defying a authorities prohibition connected thoroughfare performances, they person go progressively common, but inactive look crackdowns if they get excessively overmuch attention.

At slightest 1 of the set members had their Instagram relationship closed by Iranian authorities, with the constabulary posting connected the relationship that it was unopen down by judicial bid owed to “publishing transgression content”.

The authorities person not publically confirmed whether the set subordinate could look further punishment.

Hardline blimpish media outlets this week reported different crackdown successful Tehran.

Ticket income for a “disco that included bare women dancing with boys” successful the Pakdasht country were stopped, and ineligible cases were opened against organisers, according to the state-run Fars quality website, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

This was successful notation to an physics euphony lawsuit that had been moving for weeks and was selling tickets legally aft obtaining the required permits from the authorities.

Dancing successful nationalist spaces, particularly erstwhile done by men and women together, are prohibited and astatine times, punished by Iranian authorities.

Drinking intoxicant remains outlawed, arsenic well, starring to immoderate Iranians purchasing smuggled goods oregon unsafe homemade products. Alcohol tainted with ethanol and different chemicals continues to claim dozens of lives each year.

But immoderate cafes and restaurants proceed to prosecute DJs – and astatine times, service intoxicant – contempt the restrictions.

In mid-September, authorities permanently unopen down a large edifice located successful Tehran’s Nahjol Balaghe Park due to the fact that a clip showed radical dancing to euphony wrong and due to the fact that intoxicant was allegedly served there.

Several covering shops and different vendors person been unopen down implicit caller weeks aft they held events wherever young radical danced successful attendance.

In mid-September, authorities besides cancelled a large nationalist concert astatine Tehran’s iconic Azadi Tower that was initially conceived by the authorities arsenic a objection of nationalist unity.

The evident contradiction betwixt the positions of antithetic factions wrong the constitution highlights the quality of Iran – with the authorities not needfully having the last accidental successful diffferent matters, and different forces, specified arsenic the Revolutionary Guard, capable to defy authorities policy.

Hijab laws, online freedoms

The Supreme National Security Council has ordered authorities to halt heavy enforcing the controversial hijab law, which penalises women and men with situation time, being lashed oregon paying fines if the authorities determines their attire is improper.

Iranian woman, Bahareh, rides a motorcycle without a licence successful Tehran connected September 8, 2025 [Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]

Iran experienced months of deadly nationwide protests successful 2022 and 2023 aft the decease successful constabulary custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old pistillate who was arrested implicit her hijab.

However, immoderate alleged “morality police” vans person been seen successful cities crossed the country, adjacent though Pezeshkian’s authorities said nary fund had been dedicated towards it.

Another radical defying the strategy successful Iran are women riding motorcycles, arsenic the authorities inactive won’t contented them motorcycle licences.

The authorities introduced authorities to let women to ride, but it is stuck successful a parliament dominated by hardline lawmakers aft a record-low turnout successful elections since 2020.

More women are riding motorcycles crossed the country, however, with hundreds filmed precocious taking portion successful radical rides successful Tehran.

Pezeshkian’s authorities has besides failed to honour different run promise: lifting draconian authorities bans connected astir each planetary societal media and tens of thousands of websites.

The authorities this week blamed Israel for the continued imposition of the pugnacious net restrictions, claiming that the controls would person been lifted had it not been for the June war.

Azadeh Moaveni, writer and subordinate prof astatine New York University, told Al Jazeera she does not judge immoderate faction of the authorities enjoys wide enactment from the younger generation, arsenic they haven’t been capable to connection them thing substantial.

“Pragmatists wrong the authorities are conscionable offering their ain frustration, which is of zero value, and astatine champion pointing out, arsenic the president has, that helium won’t enforce laws that the bulk of the state opposes, similar the hijab law,” she said.

Moaveni said the dynamic of loosening and tightening of societal freedoms by the authorities to negociate nine was nary longer working, partially owed to the changes taking spot successful nine and besides due to the fact that of the dire economical conditions and aggregate ongoing crises reshaping regular life.