A marathon on Iran’s Kish Island that appeared to show large numbers of women running without hijab has triggered a fierce backlash from hardliners and a swift criminal case against its organizers.
The sixth Kish Marathon went ahead on Friday morning with close to 5,000 runners on the Persian Gulf resort island, even though Iran’s Athletics Federation had opposed the event in advance, citing alleged failure to observe “legal and religious requirements.”
The race, launched five years ago with around 500 participants, has grown into Iran’s only internationally recognised road race.
Conservatives’ reaction was immediate and harsh, leading to the opening of a criminal file by Kish’s public prosecutor within hours of the event.
“The manner in which the event was conducted damaged public decency,” the prosecutor's office said in a statement published by the IRGC-linked Tasnim.
“Despite earlier warnings about the need to observe the country’s current laws and regulations, as well as religious, social, and professional norms in holding this competition, the relevant officials did not pay the necessary attention to these warnings,” it added.
‘The Las Vegas Republic
The announcement followed a cascade of attacks from hardline activists and media—including Tasnim.
The race, it asserted, promoted “open, public unveiling (and) debauchery,” for which those responsible “must be punished immediately.”
A hardline activist writing under the name Aminizadeh blasted officials as “careless and dishonourable,” describing the race as a “disco marathon.”
“Is this the Islamic Republic or the Las Vegas Republic,” he quipped. “Who sponsored this stupid act?”
‘Settling political scores’
Such interventions echoed broader efforts by conservative figures to reassert control over public space and dress codes three years after the widespread 2022 protests, which has eroded enforcement of Islamic dress code in many urban areas.
Many supporters of the event pushed back, accusing hardliners of exploiting hijab sensitivities for political gain.
Journalist Amir Taher Hosseinkhan wrote on X that women had run their race at 5:30am and men at 8:30am, with strict separation and control.
“So why are you still insisting on creating a false narrative?” he asked. “How did something you claim is sacred become a tool for bargaining and settling scores?”
Organizers have so far not publicly commented on the prosecutor’s announcement.
US President Donald Trump attended the ceremony and received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize from Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), world football’s governing body, for promoting global peace and unity.
“This is truly one of the great honors of my life. Beyond awards, we have saved millions and millions of lives," Trump said. "The Congo is an example. India, Pakistan — so many different wars we were able to end, in some cases, a little bit before they started."
Iran will open the tournament against New Zealand on 15 June in Seattle, with further group games in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Several senior Iranian football officials were denied US visas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw in Washington, prompting an initial threat by the Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) to boycott the event.
Out of nine members of the delegation who applied for visas, only four were granted entry, including head coach Ardeshir Amir Ghalenoei, while other senior officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj, were denied.
Despite the visa restrictions, the partial delegation attended the draw ceremony, ensuring Iran’s participation.
The team has now reached its seventh World Cup and its fourth in a row. Their arrival in the US comes against the backdrop of longstanding entry restrictions that continue to shape travel rules for Iranian nationals.
The top two teams and the eight best third-placed sides will advance to the round of 32.
“I prefer to leave my artistic work for a day when the Islamic Republic no longer exists in my country,” she said.
Embarking on a farewell tour, she framed her decision within the wider social shifts unfolding in Iran, particularly the growing rejection of the compulsory hijab and the generational frustration she believes now defines the country.
“We are seeing our youth, especially women, fighting for their most basic rights,” she said, describing a society confronting economic strain, political repression and demands for ordinary freedoms.
Defiance of compulsory veiling is now widespread in Iran as women and girls appear in public without headscarves in one of the most visible social shifts since Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022.
The pressures facing a new generation, Googoosh said, have accelerated her own sense of responsibility as an artist.
“People in my country are struggling to give their families an ordinary life. They struggle for clean water, clean air, and land where they can live. Our young people grew old without ever enjoying their youth. Our people must end this painful cycle and gain the freedoms every human being deserves.”
Iran’s rulers have long relied on strict hijab enforcement by police and Basij forces. The current situation comes amid persistent power cuts, water shortages and a weakened economy, all of which risk fueling further anger.
A life shaped by stardom and silence
Born Faegheh Atashin, she entered the spotlight as a child performer and quickly became one of pre-revolution Iran’s most recognizable cultural figures. Her look, voice and stage presence shaped an entire era of Iranian pop culture.
After the 1979 revolution, she remained in Iran and spent two decades barred from performing under the new theocracy, facing surveillance, harassment and a period of imprisonment. When authorities finally allowed her to leave in 2000, she resumed her career abroad, launching a revival that connected her with Iranians who had long been cut off from her music.
“After the revolution, the pressure on me grew,” Googoosh said. “Since Farsi is my mother tongue and I grew up in Iran, I could not adjust to living outside my country. I did not want that life. I hoped I could somehow continue performing for my own people, inside my own country.”
