A disturbing picture of life under the rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Cyberspace portrays disturbing images of life under the rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Given that the Islamic Republic imposes numerous restrictions on sexual behavior outside of the framework of official marriage in Iran according to Islamic law, it seems that the growth of the massage service industry, even underground in various cities, has turned it into a cover for prostitution.

Recently, the promotion of massage services on social media has become very popular, and it also reveals many contradictions in the application of various laws by the Islamic Republic. In Iran, public morality is defined based on Islamic principles, but the popularity of the massage industry on social media also reveals a significant paradox.

One of these massage service pages is run by a woman who introduces herself as having a degree in physiology from the University of Tehran and an international massage therapy certificate from Malaysia. The profile of this page states: "I am a masseur and I provide massage services for women and men in Tehran."

The Instagram pages appear to be a hidden network of prostitution operating under the guise of medical services. The services include home massages, foot massages, hot stone massages and Thai massages, and some of the pages feature photos of a massage parlor apparently located in northern Tehran. There are also a number of videos of young women giving massages to men, apparently allowing customers to choose their preferred masseur.

According to reports by Iran International News Network today, one of these pages directs people to a Telegram channel that offers another dimension of services. Apparently, this Telegram channel provides its customers with something more than traditional massage therapy, and their services also include threesomes or group sex and relationships with transgender people.

Given that prostitution is illegal in Iran and that severe penalties are imposed on those who participate in it or facilitate it, and that adultery, which is sexual intercourse between two people who are not officially married to each other, or homosexuality, can lead to imprisonment, flogging, or even execution, the underground sex trade in Iran continues, fueled by factors such as poverty, unemployment, severe economic problems, drug addiction, and so on.

According to published reports, the prices of the services listed on the aforementioned Telegram channel vary. The prices of these services are set at 2 million and 100 thousand for a 90-minute massage, 4 million and 700 thousand tomans for massage and sex, 6 million and 200 thousand tomans for one-night services, and 13 million tomans for services over 24 hours.

To receive services, customers must pay half of the costs before the service is provided and the rest after the service is provided, and the advance payments are made to another person's account, which is a sign of fraud. On the other hand, it can be said that these social pages, regardless of whether they are fake or real, paint a disturbing picture of life under the rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and unfortunately, there are other similar pages.

Given that the Islamic Republic government is taking steps to close down social media pages where protesters and opponents of the Islamic Republic are active, these pages are vaguely advertising sexual services, and in some cases, they are openly advertising them, with the price of their services varying from 2 million tomans to 15 million tomans, depending on various factors.

A 24-year-old woman named "A" is pictured in one of these advertisements, claiming that she provides services to clients by providing a health certificate and a COVID-19 vaccination, which states that there is no risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases through sexual intercourse. Photos of her on social media show that she charges 13.5 million tomans for each day she accompanies a client for sex services, and even goes on trips with clients.

Meanwhile, another 27-year-old woman named "R" talks to clients about her preparation for international travel.

The bitter events that occur every day in Islamic Iran show that the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran act selectively in dealing with prostitution and in many cases turn a blind eye to the realities, which seems to indicate that the decisions and the way in which the regime's agents deal with the issue of sex trafficking are made under the influence of corruption and bribery.

According to experts and specialists in this field, an effective approach to the phenomenon of prostitution is only possible by identifying and trying to eliminate root causes such as poverty, economic problems, and an insecure and pathological view of this problem.

The services provided under the guise of massage and their advertising through social media are taking place while the Islamic Republic continues to enforce its strict laws regarding compulsory hijab and combat it, while prostitution is openly and even advertised in this area in Iran, and vulnerable women are exploited quite easily and conveniently, right in front of the government's eyes.