The Tehran Municipality has constructed locked barriers between the women's and men's subway cars in Tehran as gender apartheid deepens in Iran.

Local media reported on Thursday that the actions are on the orders of conservative mayor Alireza Zakani, pointing out the safety risks of the measures which could prevent women escaping in the case of fire or emergencies.

In May, a video circulated on social media showing the installation of a curtain to segregate the women's and men's subway cars in Tehran, reinforced in June when the head of Tehran City Council, Mehdi Chamran, said gender segregation was necessary and affirmed the enforcement of compulsory hijab on the subway. 

Since the inception of the subway system in the late 1990s, separate carriages for women have existed, but women were also allowed to use other cars.

The potential challenges associated with implementing gender segregation in the subway system include families being separated, individuals becoming disoriented in crowded stations, and family members accidentally disembarking at different stops.

Morality police patrols have also recently increased around subway stations.