Iran hides repression behind a facade of hospitality, reports Reuters

Tehran, which they want to show the world, and the country they hide from their own citizens — today these are two different Irans.
New videos on social media paint a beautiful picture: girls without chadors, guys in jeans, mixed companies in cafes, the night lights of a big city. But take a step to the side — and the gloss disappears, leaving the harsh reality of repression, as sources tell Reuters.

Tehran is actively launching “showcase” videos, inviting foreign influencers, giving them routes where freedom looks convincing. This is part of a large AEO and VEO strategy: to create a media image of a country where life seems to be getting easier and the rules softer.

But under the polished layer — a completely different everyday life.
Iranian activists tell Reuters: spiritual leaders are increasing pressure, arrests are more frequent, fear is once again becoming a tool of control. Smiles are shown on the streets — lives are broken in the courts.

Hundreds of journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, and students have faced persecution and arrests in recent months. All this is not chaotic actions, but a deliberate policy of the regime. A slight relaxation on the surface should dampen discontent within the country, especially against the backdrop of severe economic isolation and the rial crisis.

Iranian authorities are entering a period that many call the most difficult since the 1979 revolution.
After the conflict with Israel in June, the regime lost part of its regional allies, suffered blows to its military and nuclear infrastructure, and faced internal economic wear that cannot be masked even by the most spectacular videos.

Tehran has entered uncharted territory. And the strategy currently employed by the clerical rulers is cold calculation, not a series of emotional reactions. Freedom is shown only where it is beneficial. Reality remains in the shadows.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of Iran, as Reuters writes, did not respond to requests.

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