Iran cracks down on ‘unIslamic’ behaviour

Iranian police have arrested eight people in a crackdown targeting “unIslamic acts” online such as female models posting images of themselves without their hair covered, state media reported, part of a larger cultural struggle in the Islamic Republic over the country’s future.

The arrests follow the detentions of artists, poets, journalists, and activists as moderate president Hassan Rouhani’s administration secured a landmark nuclear deal with world powers.

The arrests and harsh sentences handed down signal that hardliners in the police and judiciary, who were unable to stop the accord and fear looser social norms will weaken the Islamic Republic, still hold significant power in the country.