Hossein Shariatmadari, the representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in the Kayhan newspaper, wrote in a Sunday note of this government-run media outlet: “There are undeniable documents showing that the challenge of hijab and chastity is one of the tools used by the enemy in the upcoming war.”

Without providing any evidence in this regard, he accused the “enemy” of “using unveiling as a destructive weapon.”

Islamic Republic officials typically refer to the United States and Israel as the enemy.

Shariatmadari went on to say that “turning a blind eye to this reality” is “unintentional cooperation with the enemy in the war,” and wrote that some officials believe that “confronting immodesty in a situation in which we are engaged in a full-scale war is not in the interest.”

He wrote: “This answer, if it is not an attempt to evade responsibility, is a simplistic interpretation” or “is considered a suspicious and aligned approach with the enemy’s plan and design.”

In his note, Shariatmadari called “bringing the war into play in order to justify the failure to act by some officials” regarding the treatment of opponents of mandatory hijab, their falling into the “deception cycle of the enemy.”