Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader who has not appeared publicly since his naming as dictator, published a written message Friday for National Police Week. He praised the police including the morality police as doing holy work equal to the IRGC and armed forces and noted internal threats.

The national police differ from the IRGC and Basij but join repression of women over hijabs. US sanctions followed the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, beaten by morality police during interrogation after a hijab stop. Treasury said the morality police enforce modesty laws as part of the Law Enforcement Forces, which suppress protests as they did in 2009.