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NEW YORK - At a time of increasing tensions over Iran's nuclear program, reflected in the European Union's tough new sanctions targeting Iran's oil and gas sector as well as shipping and air cargo companies, the Iranian government does not need policies at home that could cause "internal tumult", to quote President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who has criticized an offensive by hardliners against un-Islamic dress and behavior.

"The government does not agree with this behavior and will respond to and control it as much as it can. It is an insult to ask a man and woman walking on the street about their relation to each other. Nobody has the right to ask such questions," Ahmadinejad said, much to the chagrin of his hardline critics who accuse him of catering to the demands of the opposition Green movement.

By law, women in Iran have to cover from head to foot and social