Iran’s Police Information Center announced on Saturday that 8,000 vehicles, previously impounded due to hijab law violations, have been released.

The release of the vehicles comes in the wake of the third televised debate among Iran’s six presidential candidates, where "cultural issues," including the country’s mandatory hijab laws, took center stage.

During the debate, some candidates addressed the hijab law directly, with conservative candidate Pourmohammadi pledging to withdraw the hijab bill if elected. However, the ultimate decision-making power remains with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a staunch proponent of the hijab mandate.

Iran’s recent intensified hijab crackdowns were initiated following Plan Nour, a directive by Supreme Leader Khamenei on April 13, as part of Iran’s Hijab and Chastity bill. It led to the arrest of hundreds of women across various cities in Iran and was dubbed "gender apartheid" by the United Nations.