A disturbing video circulating on social media has captured the moment a man hurled a tub of yogurt at two women inside a store in the Iranian city of Shandiz, striking both of them in the head in what appears to be an act of aggression targeting unveiled women.
The footage shows the man approaching the two women before deliberately reaching for a yogurt container from the store's shelves and throwing it directly at them. The attack hit both women in the head, and the video subsequently shows a male staff member intervening and escorting the suspect out of the premises.
The incident has drawn widespread attention and condemnation as it reflects the ongoing tensions in Iran surrounding the country's strict hijab laws. The Islamic Republic requires women to cover their hair in public, and those who defy the mandate have increasingly become targets of harassment and violence from hardline individuals who take enforcement into their own hands.
Iran has witnessed significant unrest over its compulsory hijab laws since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022, who died after being detained by the country's morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly. Her death sparked widespread protests across the country and drew international scrutiny to the enforcement of the dress code.
Despite the protests, Iranian authorities have continued efforts to enforce hijab regulations, and reports of vigilante-style attacks on women who choose not to wear the veil have persisted. The Shandiz incident represents the kind of public harassment that women flouting the rules have reported experiencing in various parts of the country.
The video serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by women in Iran who resist the compulsory dress laws, even as many continue to push back against restrictions they regard as a fundamental violation of their personal freedoms. Human rights organizations continue to monitor and document such incidents, calling on Iranian authorities to protect women from harassment and violence.
