IRGC attack tourists at Iranian summer resort

Accusations of beatings and the use of tear gas have been made by members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against tourists in a scenic resort area of the country.

Witnesses say that Thursday evening, a group of security officers — said to be wearing uniforms associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC — attacked tourists at the Opert summer resort.

An eyewitness told Voice of America that a few hours after they arrived at the resort, two cars displaying IRGC insignia drove up and the occupants aggressively ordered women to adhere to the hijab dress code.

After some time, they left the area. However, the source said, the officers returned in the late hours of the night and subjected the tourists to “beatings and tear gas."

The witnesses said the officers viciously assaulted the tourists using batons and stun guns, repeatedly accusing them of consuming alcohol while reveling during the Shia month of Muharram.

Opert, a picturesque border area between Semnan and Mazandaran provinces, attracts visitors with its untamed landscapes, distinctive highlands and the mesmerizing clouds. The region lies at the northernmost edge of Semnan and the southernmost edge of Mazandaran, making it a sought-after tourist destination.

Amid nationwide protests and women's defiance of compulsory hijab laws, the Islamic Republic is exerting pressure and violence throughout society to enforce mandatory hijab wearing.