Iranian President Advocates for Women’s Right to Choose About the Hijab

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has spoken out against forcing women to wear the hijab and recent crackdowns in his country, pitting him against hardline rivals in the Islamic Republic. “Human beings have a right to choose,” Pezeshkian said Friday in an interview with Tom Llamas, anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” when asked about Mahsa Amini, whose death three years ago after being detained by Iran’s morality police triggered nationwide protests that shook the government’s hold on power. “We didn’t have appropriate management of our internal issues and implementation,” he added during the extensive interview, during which he warned President Donald Trump’s actions could “set fire” to the region and said international nuclear inspectors were welcome to visit his country. “I took very crystal clear positions in speeches that I gave in certain places in mosques, I clearly said this should not have occurred,” Pezeshkian said.