Iran’s New Hijab Plan Includes Fines Up to $6,000

Mohsen Rafighdoost, a former Iranian Revolutionary Guards military officer and politician. (TASNIM)
Mohsen Rafighdoost, a former Iranian Revolutionary Guards military officer and politician. (TASNIM)
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Iran’s New Hijab Plan Includes Fines Up to $6,000

Mohsen Rafighdoost, a former Iranian Revolutionary Guards military officer and politician. (TASNIM)
Mohsen Rafighdoost, a former Iranian Revolutionary Guards military officer and politician. (TASNIM)

Iranian authorities are preparing a new Hijab Plan that includes fines up to $6,000 on defiant women breaching the country’s mandatory Hijab rule, revealed hardliner lawmaker and member of parliament’s cultural committee Hossein Jalali.

There will be fines issued for women who break dress code regulations, ranging from 5,000 Iranian rials to 30 billion Iranian rials (between $10-$6000), said the deputy from Rafsanjan.

Iran’s Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and Supreme National Security Council had approved the plan after holding 300 meetings, said Jalali.

Imposing fines as punishment for those refusing to abide by the country’s veil rules was run by the Iranian Supreme Leader’s office and the judiciary, he affirmed.

Jalali, according to Iranian news websites, said the government should prepare and present a bill for enforcing the new plan within two weeks. Parliament will then adopt and enforce the law.

Government bodies mentioned by Jalali and the judiciary did not comment on the matter.

“The situation of the Hijab would be better than in the past,” claimed Jalali.

Jalali said the new plan would be implemented through an intelligent system and not entail physical confrontation with women who do not observe the veil.

According to Jalali, agencies in charge of enforcing the mandatory Hijab would monitor seven groups of places: inside the vehicles, inside public places and restaurants, government offices and departments, educational centers and universities, airports and terminals, the cyberspace, celebrities, and in the streets and public thoroughfares.

Revoking driver’s licenses and passports and banning Internet use are also among the punishments for women who do not observe the mandatory Hijab rules. They will also see those individuals with websites, social media channels, or many followers and members could not use the Internet.

Despite widespread protests declining nationwide, triggers and chances of resurgence are still the focus of discussion between politicians and agencies involved in decision-making in Iran.

Mohsen Rafighdoost, a former Iranian Revolutionary Guards military officer and politician, blamed foreign enemies and maladministration of being key factors in protests rocking Iran for six months.

“All the problems in the country have economic roots, if we can solve them, the rest of the problems will be solved more easily,” Rafighdoost told state-run “ISNA” in a recorded interview.

Stressing that problems facing the livelihood of Iranians are now ailing a large segment of society, Rafighdoost argued that addressing these issues is not really on the demonstrations’ agenda.

He pointed out that the majority of those arrested in the protests are from the “upper class.”

Rafighdoost, however, did not indicate the number of detainees.

Crowds that staged the protests “were largely dispersed,” claimed the former military officer, adding that the movement lacked true “leaders.”

Rafighdoost accused candidates who the protesters presented as leaders of being notoriously corrupt.

He also talked about the parliament and government needing a “revolution,” and criticized the selling of state assets, saying that it will only offer temporary relief.

According to Rafighdoost, 35 million out of about 85 million Iranians suffer from a very difficult living situation.

“If left to their fate, these millions will revolt,” warned Rafighdoost.

Without referring to numbers, Rafighdoost claimed: “The death toll of law enforcement forces (police) is more than the death toll of protesters.”

“We want to show the world that these people do not seek reform, but rather sabotage,” he noted.

Rafighdoost, however, disagreed with forcibly compelling the hijab, saying that it will lead to a negative reaction from the public.



Rubio to Make First Asia Trip as Trump Unveils Tariffs on Host and Allies

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, May 20, 2025. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, May 20, 2025. (Reuters)
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Rubio to Make First Asia Trip as Trump Unveils Tariffs on Host and Allies

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, May 20, 2025. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, May 20, 2025. (Reuters)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Malaysia this week to attend meetings of Southeast Asian Nations in his first trip to Asia as America's top diplomat, the State Department said on Monday.

The department announced the July 8-12 trip, billed as a move to reaffirm Washington's commitment to the Indo-Pacific, just hours before President Donald Trump said he would impose 25% tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea, the key US allies in the region and vital partners in countering China's growing might, as well as on Malaysia.

Trump also announced 40% tariffs on Laos and Myanmar, which along with Malaysia are members of ASEAN.

Rubio will take part in meetings with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose ministers are gathering in Kuala Lumpur and will also meet with senior Malaysian government officials, the State Department said.

Rubio will seek to firm up US relationships with partners and allies unnerved by Trump's global tariff strategy and the president's announcements look certain to dampen the mood.

The trip has been seen as part of a renewed US focus on the Indo-Pacific and an effort to look beyond conflicts in the Middle East and Europe that have consumed much of the Trump administration's attention.

"Top topics that he's going to want to hit, obviously, are to reaffirm our commitment to East Asia, to ASEAN, to the Indo-Pacific, and not just ... for its own sake," a senior State Department official told reporters.

"I think a key message that the secretary likes to deliver is that we're committed, and we prioritize it because it is in America's interests, right? It promotes American prosperity and it promotes American security."

The official said Rubio would be prepared to discuss trade, including reiterating that the need to rebalance US trade relationships is significant and echoing messages from the White House and US Trade Representative.

ASEAN countries have been nervous about Trump's tariffs and questioned the willingness of his "America First" administration to fully engage diplomatically and economically with the region.

"There is a hunger to be reassured that the US actually views the Indo-Pacific as the primary theater of US interests, key to US national security," said Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The White House said twelve other countries after Japan and South Korea will receive trade letters informing them of new tariffs to take effect from August 1.

Trump said on Sunday the US was close to finalizing several trade pacts and would notify other countries by July 9 of higher tariff rates. He also sent a message to BRICS group of developing nations as its leaders met in Brazil, threatening an additional 10% tariff on any aligning themselves with "anti-American" policies.

The BRICS includes ASEAN member Indonesia, as well as China and India.

Trump announced last week he had reached a trade agreement with important Southeast Asian partner and ASEAN member Vietnam and could reach one with India, but cast doubt on a possible deal with Japan, which is not only Washington's main Asian ally, but a major investor in the United States.

Rubio has yet to visit Japan, or South Korea, the other main US ally in Northeast Asia, since taking office in January, even though Washington sees the Indo-Pacific as its main strategic priority given the perceived threat from China.

South Korea's presidential security adviser Wi Sung-lac headed to Washington on Sunday for trade and defense talks, with Seoul seeking to head off US tariffs. He aims to meet with Rubio and discuss a possible summit between Trump and President Lee Jae Myung, who took office last month.