A 10-kilometre race in Tehran has taken an unexpected legal turn after images showed women competing without hijab.
Iranian authorities have opened a criminal case against the organisers over alleged violations of religious and legal requirements.
The race took place on Friday at a time when Iran was also holding a major military parade.
Iran’s judiciary said the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office intervened after the event and began legal proceedings against those involved.
Criminal Case Opened Against Race Organisers
The judiciary’s Mizan Online platform said authorities acted after the race failed to meet certain legal and religious requirements.
The platform stated that “during which legal and religious requirements were not observed, the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office intervened and put the necessary legal measures in place”.
It also announced that “A criminal complaint was filed against those involved in organising and running the event, and a judicial case was opened.”
The action follows images from the event showing several women running without head coverings.
Women Seen Running Without Head Coverings
Images shared from the Tehrun event showed women participating together, with some appearing without head coverings.
Iranian law requires women to cover their hair and wear modest, loose-fitting clothing in public.
The Tehran race therefore drew attention because some participants did not follow the country’s compulsory hijab rules.
Videos from the event circulated widely after the race, bringing renewed attention to enforcement of Iran’s dress regulations.
Race Coincided With Military Parade
The 10-kilometre event was held on Friday, alongside a military parade linked to a mobilisation campaign.
The campaign was called “Sacrifice for the Fatherland”.
The race and the military gathering were separate events, although they took place on the same day in Tehran.
Meanwhile, the latest legal action follows a similar case involving a running event on Kish Island.
Iranian authorities arrested two organisers of that event last year after women were also seen competing without hijab.
Hijab Rules Face Growing Challenges
Adherence to Iran’s compulsory hijab rules has become more inconsistent since the 2022 protests that followed Mahsa Amini’s death in custody.
Amini was a young Kurdish woman who had been arrested over an alleged dress-code violation.
Since then, women without head coverings have increasingly appeared in public spaces across several major Iranian cities.
However, compulsory hijab remains part of Iran’s legal framework, and authorities continue to take action in some cases.
Tehran Race Adds to Growing Tensions
The latest case comes as Iran faces continuing economic pressure and wider tensions following months of conflict with the United States.
Against that backdrop, the Tehran race has brought the enforcement of religious dress rules back into public focus.
For now, the judicial case concerns the organisers and those involved in running the event.
The authorities have not publicly detailed the eventual outcome of the case, leaving the next legal steps to the judicial process.
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