1 of 1
Story summary
- Iranian authorities shut down at least seven Tehran cafés on July 19, citing mandatory hijab violations.
- The closures of Vanak Park cafés eliminated roughly 200 jobs.
- Supreme Court upheld a 12-year-six-month sentence for owner Sadegh Saedinia and confiscated all branches.
- Psychologist Saba Alaleh says cafés serve as third spaces that challenge the government’s monopoly on social interaction.
- Iran’s café numbers grew from about 300 in the early 2010s to roughly 4,000 now.
