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The Iranian regime’s judiciary is demanding greater involvement by intelligence agencies and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in enforcing compulsory hijab, as the government acquires new powers to change fuel prices and rationing and lawmakers acknowledge sharp increases in medicine costs. The developments expose a central contradiction facing the ruling establishment: shrinking economic capacity alongside efforts to strengthen social control.
On October 30, Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi called on intelligence agencies and the IRGC to identify and confront what he described as “organized gangs promoting corruption.” According to domestic reporting of the judiciary’s announcement, Salehi warned that 28 government institutions had legal obligations concerning hijab enforcement and gave inspectors one month to review their performance. Managers found negligent could face legal action.
Salehi also threatened action against both individuals violating prescribed dress codes and the officials responsible for licensing their venues. His intervention follows prosecutions of Tehran Art Fair organizers and reported dismissals at Pasargad-affiliated companies over clothing rules. The emphasis on employers, licensing authorities and security institutions suggests an effort to enforce restrictions through workplaces and businesses, where noncompliance can directly threaten livelihoods.
During a session held on August 13, several members of the Majlis, the #Iranian regime’s parliament, suggested passing the “#hijab and chastity” bill, as per Article 85 of the Constitution.https://t.co/Kfxhu0hWTm
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 14, 2023
New Energy Powers Amid Historic Inflation
The cabinet has authorized a special energy committee to revise prices and consumption quotas for gasoline, other petroleum products and natural gas across all sectors. The October 28 decision grants broad authority but does not announce an immediate increase. Its requirement to consider social consequences reflects the sensitivity of energy-price adjustments amid deteriorating living standards.
Official annual average inflation reached 76.8% in October, while year-on-year price increases stood at 88.7%. Against this background, parliamentary Health Commission Chairman Hossein-Ali Shahriari acknowledged that some medicines, particularly treatments for cancer and serious chronic illnesses, had risen in price by 400–500%. He said patients were struggling with shortages and unaffordable treatment despite parliamentary budget allocations. His remarks expose the limits of existing healthcare subsidies.
The energy crisis is already producing administrative changes. Under a government directive reported by Tasnim, public institutions must arrange at least two remote-working days weekly for eligible employees and designate one day without private-car commuting. Although officially framed around fuel conservation, traffic and pollution, the measures come as authorities confront renewed energy shortages.
Five years ago, #Iran's November 2019 uprising erupted in over 190 cities—an outcry against tyranny and injustice. Despite the regime’s brutal crackdown, the #MEKResistanceUnits stood tall, leading the charge for freedom. Their sacrifices still ignite Iran’s fight for democracy. pic.twitter.com/sstpdflCP2
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 15, 2024
Winter Gas Shortages Threaten Eleven Provinces
National Gas Company chief Saeed Tavakoli told state television that household, commercial and small-industry gas consumption had risen approximately 30%—around 70 million cubic meters—in five days. He acknowledged that 130 million cubic meters of damaged daily production capacity remained unavailable and warned that 11 provinces could face winter supply difficulties.
Mazandaran, Golestan and North Khorasan were identified as particularly vulnerable. Tavakoli estimated that each one-degree Celsius drop in temperature during peak demand could add approximately 25 million cubic meters to daily consumption. The warnings illustrate how infrastructure damage and longstanding supply imbalances are converging, potentially exposing households and industries to further disruptions.
Baluch Fuel Carrier Reportedly Killed by Police Gunfire
In southeastern Iran, 25-year-old Baluch fuel carrier Erfan Zabardast reportedly died following police gunfire near Kahnuj on October 27. According to local reports, officers fired at his vehicle, striking a tire and causing it to overturn. The precise circumstances, including whether Zabardast was directly struck by a bullet, remain independently unverified.
Iran’s deepening crisis: 88.7% #inflation, mass job losses, looming gas shortages, and mounting repression. Meanwhile, hardliners fear regional alliances could force a strategic retreat, erode loyalist morale, and leave the regime more vulnerable to renewed #IranProtests.
By Amir…— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 28, 2026
The incident highlights the dangers facing informal fuel transporters in economically deprived southeastern areas, where precarious livelihoods intersect with armed policing. It also follows repeated state announcements of security operations, arrests and weapons seizures in the wider region.
Hardline Pressure and Leadership Uncertainty
The regime’s president Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking to his cabinet earlier in the week, called for preparations for whatever follows the country’s condition of “neither war nor peace.” His acknowledgment of uncertainty contrasts with increasingly confrontational rhetoric from hardline figures. On October 30, interim Tehran Friday prayer leader Mohammad-Javad Haj Ali Akbari advocated reconsidering the clerical dictatorship’s nuclear doctrine, claiming that 70% of the population supported such a shift.
The Iranian regime’s #economy minister was formally rebuked by parliament as point-to-point inflation nears 90%, negative growth and a 270,000-toman dollar threaten instability, while food and bread prices are rising, wheat farmers remain unpaid and stocks are falling sharply.…
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 27, 2026
While the regime confronts economic constraints and uncertainty, officials associated with the supreme leader’s office continue to press for uncompromising positions, complicating the establishment’s efforts to reconcile competing priorities.
As economic collapse, energy shortages and mounting social discontent converge, the regime’s response is increasingly defined by intensified repression at home and confrontational rhetoric abroad. Rather than addressing the underlying crises, its security and ideological institutions are doubling down on coercion and military escalation, deepening the divide between the ruling establishment and Iranian society while risking further instability.