It is a look that does not deceive! The Palace of Madrid welcomed this Wednesday an audience of guests for a diplomatic meeting of the utmost importance: the king and queen met members of ambassadors and members of foreign consulates in Spain. Many personalities paraded in front of the royal couple. Among them, the Iranian ambassador.
The man stepped forward in front of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. He shakes hands with the first and, surprised, bows quickly to the second and heads for the exit. An absence of gesture which the former journalist did not expect, she who had been shaking all the hands of the guests for several minutes, addressing them a few words. On the video shared by the media, we see the wife of Felipe VI send a dark look in the direction of the Iranian diplomat, before coming to his senses and welcoming his successor in the queue.
Este es el desplante del embajador de Irán a la Reina Letizia en la recepción al cuerpo diplomático pic.twitter.com/6B8pW82aZG
— El Debate (@eldebate_com) January 25, 2023
The issue of women in Iran
Why did the Iranian ambassador ‘snubbed’ Queen Letizia of Spain? In Iran, the repeal of the 1967 law reinstated gender segregation. The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, left the choice to women whether or not to wear the veil in Iran during his time in power. But in 1967, the Islamic Revolution of 1979 changed the game – Pahlavi was overthrown by Ayatollah Khomeini. “Physical contact between men and women is prohibited, unless they are married or part of the same family”, recalls the site Libertad Digital about customs in Iran.
Strong images in a context of uprisings in Iran. Indeed, women are in the streets to defend their rights, after the death of Mahsa Amini.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia © AGENCY
