Zarif made the comment on Wednesday as he sat down with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“If you go to the streets of Tehran, you will find women not covering their hair. It’s against the law, but the government has decided not to put women under pressure,” the former foreign minister said.
The decision was an election promise made by President Masoud Pezeshkian, which has now been fulfilled, the VP said.
Zarif explained that the president decided not to implement a law meant to put penalties on women refusing to cover their hair in public, a decision which he said was taken with the consent of the Iranian leadership, including the head of Parliament, the head of the Judiciary and the National Security Council.
Zarif also said that the move not to put women under pressure “is not enough”, but is “a step in the right direction.”
In September 2022, protests broke out in Iran over the death in police custody of young woman Mahsa Amini over her alleged loose hijab. The protests then morphed into riots instigated by foreign-backed elements.
Pezeshkian ran for presidency on a platform of social and economic reforms in the country, as well as a more constructive engagement with the world.
MNA/