The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has banned women from appearing in commercials and using "female images" in videos.

At the end of July, the department sent a letter about this to Iranian art and film schools, as well as to advertising agencies. The report said the ban was imposed because of the so-called hijab and chastity law. This happened after a commercial for Domino ice cream aired on local television. In it, a girl with a covered head (in a sheila) drives a car and eats ice cream.

In the letter, the Iranian Ministry of Culture appeals to the ruling of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and the law on commercial advertising, according to which any "instrumental use" of women, men and children is prohibited in Iran. As Iran International points out, the ban has in fact always been in place, but the interpretation of "instrumental use" varies depending on the political and religious leanings of particular presidential administrations.

Violations of women's rights are also regularly recorded in neighboring Afghanistan captured by the Taliban terrorist movement. In early May, the Taliban forbade women from leaving their homes without wearing a veil (burqa). This is one of the most severe restrictions on their rights since militants came to power in August 2021.

Also in mid-May, the new president of Iran-friendly Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdymukhammedov, who succeeded his father, banned women from wearing tight-fitting clothing, dyeing their hair, getting nails and eyelash extensions, and sitting in the front seat next to the driver.