UN investigators found Iran runs a phone app, drones and facial recognition to hunt down women without hijab, while police seal off businesses that serve them.
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In its March 14, 2025 report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/58/63, with detailed findings in A/HRC/58/CRP.1), the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran documented that the government-run "Nazer" app lets vetted police and members of the public report women not wearing hijab in vehicles by submitting license plates, location, date and time, triggering automated warning texts and vehicle-impoundment threats. The Mission also documented aerial drone surveillance, facial-recognition cameras -- including at the gate of Tehran's Amirkabir University -- and roadway surveillance cameras used for the same purpose. Separately, the Center for Human Rights in Iran documented that at least 50 businesses, including cafes, restaurants, wedding halls and boutiques, were sealed by Iranian authorities across eight cities between late June and early October 2025 for serving women without hijab, citing Islamic Penal Code Article 638. On October 7, 2025, Tehran's police chief, Ali Rafiee, stated on the record that undercover agents now monitor cafes and cultural events to enforce the rules.
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