Iranian women attacked with acid for wearing 'bad hijab'

A wave of acid attacks on women in Iran's Isfahan city has triggered fears and concerns that the victims were targeted for being "badly veiled".

News 24 reports that while the police have declined to comment on a motive, suspects have been arrested and an investigation is ongoing, General Hossein Ashtari was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. Ashtari said that four incidents of acid attacks were reported in Isfahan, 450km south of Tehran.

Hojatoleslam Mohammad Taghi Rahbar, a senior Isfahan cleric condemned the acid attacks on Iranian women saying that such an act under any pretext is reprehensible. He said that no one had the right to do such a thing even if a woman were to go out into the street in the worst way.

In Iran, women are bound by law to wear hijab or veils. Iranian MPs have called on for better enforcement of the hijab law and have even written to President Hassan Rouhani in recent months demanding the same.