US asserts 'nothing suggests' Iran has improved treatment of women and girls

The United States on Monday, Dec 5 noted that “nothing suggests” that Iran is improving the treatment of women. The remarks came shortly after reports that Tehran was scrapping its notorious morality police after months-long protests against the Islamic Republic hardline cleric regime for stringent dress code rules. 

“We have seen the reports but will not comment on ambiguous or vague claims by Iranian officials,” a State Department spokesperson said at a press breifing. “Sadly, nothing we have seen suggests Iran’s leadership is improving its treatment of women and girls or ceasing the violence it inflicts on peaceful protesters.”

As US sanctions Iran, indications morality police will be abolished 

The United States, in response to the crackdown on the anti-hijab protesters, imposed sanctions against the Iranian security officials. The demonstrators were brutally beaten and arbitrarily detained by the Iranian regime after the unrest that followed 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's death in custody of the Iranian morality police. She was arrested for violating the strictly enforced Islamic dress code. US-sanctioned Hassan Asgari, Alireza Moradi, and Mohammad Taghi Osanloo in the list of the latest Iranian officials to be banned by the Treasury Department.

The three allegedly assisted in spreading military control over largely Kurdish areas, including Sanandaj and Mahabad, the OFAC said in a release. These areas, it noted, faced  “particularly severe security response" since the protests began in September against the Iranian hardline cleric regime. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control accused the Iranian government of stepping up its aggressive actions against its citizens “as part of its ongoing suppression of peaceful protests against a regime that denies human rights and fundamental freedoms to its people, especially women and girls."

Iranian security forces meanwhile were reported using heavy gunfire against demonstrators in a western Kurdish town, killing at least five during an anti-government protest. Amid the violence and pushback from the citizens, Iran's attorney general Mohammad Javad Montazeri indicated that the morality police “was abolished by the same authorities who installed it” but added that the judiciary would still enforce restrictions on “social behaviour” of the citizens in an ambiguous statement. The attorney signalled that Iranian authorities were reviewing the head scarf regulations.