Iran is to appoint a woman ambassador for the first time since its 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to unconfirmed media reports Wednesday.
The reports said Foreign Ministry spokesman Marzieh Afkham would be named ambassador to an Asian country.
Afkham herself said she could not comment on “rumours”, quoted by state news agency IRNA. “Appointments at the ministry of foreign affairs are made after the necessary procedures.” In what was already a first for the Islamic republic, Afkham, a 30-year veteran of the ministry, was appointed spokeswoman in August 2013.
President Hassan Rohani, who named two women as vice presidents, said Afkham’s appointment was part of a “campaign to empower and elevate women in Iran.” But it was opposed by ultra-conservatives.