Two Iranian women arrested for not covering hair after man attacks them with yoghurt

Two women have been arrested in Iran after being attacked with yoghurt, seemingly for not covering their hair in public.

In the video, which went viral, two female customers are approached by the man, who begins talking to them.

He then takes what appears to be a tub of yoghurt from a shelf and angrily throws it over their heads.

Iran's judiciary said the two women have been detained for showing their hair, which is illegal in Iran.

The man has also been arrested for disturbing the public order, it added.

The arrests follow months of protests in the country demanding an end to the compulsory wearing of the hijab (headscarf).

The footage shows the women in the shop, waiting to be served by a member of staff. A man who looks to be passing by then walks in to confront them.

After he speaks, he repeatedly attacks them with yoghurt. The attacker is then pushed out of the shop by the shopkeeper.

Arrest warrants were issued and the three were subsequently arrested, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported.

It added that "necessary notices" have been issued to the owner of the shop to ensure compliance with the law.

Not wearing the hijab in public is illegal for women in Iran, however in big cities, many walk around without it despite the rules.

Anger and frustration with the law have driven dissent in Iranian society.

Protests spread across the Islamic Republic in September following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab "improperly".

The protests widened, but they remained rooted in the issue of the hijab.

Thousands have been arrested and four protesters have been executed since December. But the authorities show no sign of relenting.

One hardline Iranian MP, Hossein Ali Haji Deligani, has issued an ultimatum to the judiciary to come up with measures to put a stop to the flouting of the rules within the next 48 hours.

And on Saturday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated that Iranian women should wear the hijab as a "religious necessity".

"Hijab is a legal matter and adherence to it is obligatory," he said in quotes cited by AFP news agency.