USCIRF Calls for Additional Sanctions Amidst New Harsh Enforcement of Iran’s Mandatory Hijab Law

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls for additional sanctions on Iranian authorities and security officials in light of the increased crackdown on women and girls for “defying” the country’s mandatory hijab laws. Last month, the U.S. government, in coordination with allied countries, imposed sanctions against Iran for its military-related activities and malicious cyber operations. It must continue to hold accountable officials who suppress human rights protected under international law.

“Iranian authorities callously violate women’s religious freedom and targets any individual advocating for freedom of religion or belief. The U.S. government has continued to support global efforts to hold Iran accountable for its heinous acts. However, USCIRF urges additional sanctions on Iranian government agencies and security officials responsible for particularly severe violations of religious freedom by freezing their assets and barring their entry into the United States,” said USCIRF Commissioner Susie Gelman. “Although a new ‘hijab and chastity’ bill has yet to be approved by the country’s Guardian Council, USCIRF is closely monitoring Iran’s latest attempt to further stifle freedom of religion or belief.”

In April, the Iranian regime launched a new campaign to more aggressively enforce its mandatory hijab law. The new “Nour” (Light) initiative has escalated authorities’ violent crackdown on Iranian women. While the Nour campaign targets violators of the hijab law, it coincides with a broader effort to silence government dissenters – including human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, students, and artists – who have also been arrested in recent days. This new spate of arrests comes only weeks after a panel of United Nations (UN)-appointed experts determined that Iran’s crackdowns on protests against mandatory hijab and other religious freedom violations amount to crimes against humanity.

“The relentless and pervasive assaults against innocent Iranian women and girls by Iran's morality police must be unequivocally condemned by the U.S. government and the international community,” said USCIRF Commissioner Eric Ueland. “In April, the MAHSA Act was signed into law. USCIRF urges the U.S. government to fully implement this new law and impose sanctions on entities named in subsection (d) to target the top leaders of the oppressive regime, including the Supreme Leader of Iran, the President of Iran, and entities overseen by their offices responsible for human rights violations.”

USCIRF has consistently called for accountability for Iran’s crimes against humanity. In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF urged the U.S. government to support the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran and its important documentation of human rights violations. USCIRF also recommended the U.S. government impose targeted sanctions on Iranian government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States under human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious freedom violations.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].