Closure of cafés in occupied Ahwaz increases unemployment amid severe economic crisis

Iran has continued its repressive campaigns against the Ahwazi people.

On Wednesday, its security forces shut down three cafés in the city of Al-Quneitra, north of Ahwaz, under the pretext that customers were not complying with the mandatory hijab rule.

Local sources reported that the closures were carried out without prior notice, accompanied by a heavy security presence around the cafés.

This sparked concern and resentment among residents, especially as restrictions on personal freedoms in public spaces continue to intensify.

The owners of the affected cafés voiced their anger on social media, stressing that dozens of workers have now been left without a source of income, at a time when the Ahwazi community is suffering from a severe economic crisis as a result of systematic policies enforced by Iran against the Ahwazis.

One café owner wrote in a post: “Iran does not provide job opportunities, yet it shuts down the few available sources of livelihood under the pretext of hijab,” considering these measures part of a series of violations aimed at undermining public life in Ahwaz.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that commercial or cultural establishments have been closed in occupied Ahwaz on the grounds of so-called “religious or social violations.” Such pretexts are regularly used to impose further repression in Ahwaz, with complete disregard for civil and human rights.