The Iranian government is embracing women who do not wear hijabs—a group previously subject to suppression—as part of an effort to promote a new, broader form of nationalism, The New York Times (NYT) reported on June 24 (local time).

According to the NYT, pro-government factions in Iran have recently been posting videos online claiming that Iranians who were once protesters have come to support the regime in the wake of the war triggered by invasions from the United States and Israel.

In particular, a video produced and posted by pro-government filmmaker Hossein Shamaghdari features women without hijabs, who were once symbols of resistance against the Iranian regime.

A young woman wearing a pink top and jeans, with her curly hair flowing over her shoulders, says on camera, "I was not a person who supported the Islamic Republic or the Supreme Leader, but thinking about the start of the war, I am reconsidering my thoughts."

She then praised the Iranian military, which had previously suppressed women without hijabs, stating, "If the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia had not fought, we would not be here today."

While it is unclear how sincere such statements are, the NYT noted that there are few signs that the individuals in the videos were coerced into answering, and that many liberal-leaning Iranians have indeed voiced opposition to the invasions by the U.S. and Israel.

In Iran, wearing a hijab remains a legal requirement for women, and failure to comply can result in arrest or flogging.

However, many women now openly ignore the mandatory hijab rule, and women without hijabs are a common sight on Iranian streets.

Women without hijabs are also visible at pro-government rallies in Iran.

Last month, the Iranian judiciary summoned the editor-in-chief of the state-run IRNA news agency for publishing a photo of a woman without a hijab inside her home.

However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian immediately stepped in to defend the editor.

In an interview with state television, President Pezeshkian said, "Didn't you (state media) show the very women that authorities say should be arrested immediately holding pictures of the Supreme Leader?" He added, "We must acknowledge our differences and not view these differences as hostile."

Iran has survived the war with the U.S. and Israel and has secured a favorable position in ongoing peace negotiations.

However, the public remains divided in the aftermath of anti-government protests that shook the country just before the war, compounded by deepening economic hardship.

The NYT pointed out that to overcome this crisis, the Iranian government is attempting to build an image of unity that encompasses a broader spectrum of society beyond its core support base, by leveraging national anger against foreign aggression.

Analysts suggest that the Iranian government, facing a crisis due to war and internal division, is now willing to overlook the differences of those who stand on the same side against the war.

Omid Memarian, an Iran expert at DAWN, a U.S.-based Middle East think tank, explained to the NYT, "For decades, the mandatory hijab was one of the deep fault lines between supporters and opponents of the Islamic Republic," adding, "Since the war, the main political and social fault lines in Iran have shifted."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)