In recent months, the Iranian authorities have cracked down on a number of cafes in the capital Tehran, because they suspect that they could become incubators for anti-government sentiment. According to the human rights organization HRANA, at least seven cafes and restaurants were closed on July 19 alone on the pretext that they did not comply with the mandatory rules for wearing the hijab.
Some media outlets, including the newspaper “Javan“, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), described the cafes as “places where protesters gather“ that posed a threat to “national security”. Only in the prestigious “Vanak Park” In central Tehran, at least 200 people lost their jobs due to the closure of cafes in the area.
Crackdown on cafes
The authorities believe that because of their widespread and popular presence, cafes could play a role in organizing mass protests. These fears of the government are rooted in the latest wave of protests in Iran, which began on December 28, 2025, and grew into the largest uprising since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
The well-known cafe chain “Saedinia“, which has 10 branches in Iran, closed its outlets on the same day in a sign of support for the strikes. It was subsequently charged with “propaganda against the state“, for which the owner of the chain, Sadegh Saedinia, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison and confiscation of property.
Other cafes, including the very popular “Lamiz“ and “Voriya“, suffered a similar fate – were sealed by court order for their indirect support for the calls for protests. However, the closure of cafes is not a temporary measure only during protests - this practice continues.
Cafes as “third space”
The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of cafes – According to various estimates, they have grown from about 300 in the early 2010s to nearly 4,000 today. Some experts attribute this growth to changes in urban lifestyles in recent years. They see it not just as the growth of a particular type of business, but also as a sign of broader social and cultural changes in Iranian society.
“The explosive growth of cafes in society can to some extent be seen as a social response to living in a state of chronic crisis“, Saba Alaleh, a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst with a focus on political and social issues, told the Persian edition of DW.
“In such circumstances, people are not simply looking to consume or have fun. They are looking for a place to temporarily escape the pressures of everyday life. In this sense, the cafe becomes a “third space“ "It is neither a home nor a workplace, but a space in between, where people can briefly break away from their daily roles and pressures, socialize with others, and feel that life is still somewhat manageable and normal," she points out.
Coffee shops are particularly popular among Generation Z, who are bearing the brunt of Iran's galloping inflation and high cost of living. "The young people who gather in these cafes are not necessarily from wealthy families. Middle-class youth also gather in cafes, many of our customers also belong to this group," Nasser, a cafe owner in Tehran, told DW.
The political role of cafes
Even before the latest wave of nationwide protests that began late last year, closing cafes was common practice for the Iranian government. Most of these crackdowns were then carried out on the pretext of not complying with the hijab regulations. After the wave of protests at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, cafes are now being closed more often and for a number of other reasons.
“They closed our cafe on the pretext of serving customers who were not wearing the hijab, but that is just an excuse“, says Nasser. “Outside, on the streets of Tehran, women and girls have practically given up the mandatory hijab, but the government expects us not to allow them into the cafe“, he adds.
Controlling social spaces
Alaleh believes that the issue is no longer simply about repression of women who do not wear the hijab: “Authoritarian governments typically seek to control the flow of information, social interactions, and the organization of citizens,“ she recalls. “Any space outside the direct supervision of power that allows trust, dialogue, and social connections to develop can weaken some of the government's monopoly on the social sphere.“
The expert believes that the repression of cafes and their patrons is part of the government's efforts to maintain its monopoly on social spaces. Even in a group of young people simply sitting together, security forces can see a nascent independent social network outside the formal structures of power.
“The broader and more deeply rooted these independent networks become, the more difficult it is for the government to maintain exclusive control over the public sphere,“ adds Saba Alaleh.
Author: Mani Hagigat