What does Iran’s morality crackdown mean?

Police raid yoga class and hundreds of restaurants amid mounting civil unrest

Iran police alcohol
An Iranian police officer disposes of confiscated alcohol
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hundreds of Iranian cafes and restaurants were shuttered by police during Ramadan as part of a wide-ranging crackdown by the country’s religious police, authorities in Tehran have confirmed.

The sweeping closures during the holy month, which ended on 3 June, came amid accusations that establishments were breaching “Islamic principles”, such as playing forbidden music, and indulging in “debauchery” - a term often used to mean mixed-gender gatherings or lax adherence to the country’s strict modesty dress codes, imposed in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

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