A high-ranking Iranian cleric has claimed Western views of women’s rights are “flawed” urging Iranian women to question the very rights they are fighting for amid an ongoing uprising.

Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, Secretary of the Supreme Council of Seminaries said on Tuesday, “If educated and thoughtful women address issues such as the status of women's rights in Western societies and the flaws that exist in this area in the West, the enemy will not even have a chance to challenge us,” said Bushehri.

His statement comes at a time when Iran faces international scrutiny over its treatment of women, following the widespread protests ignited by the Women, Life, Freedom movement since 2022.

The movement began after powerful images of Iranian women rejecting the mandatory hijab went viral, symbolizing broader opposition against Iran’s authoritarian regime, which imposes strict religious codes affecting both the social and private lives of its citizens, especially women, who remain excluded from various facets of society such as football stadiums and are subject to strict Islamic dress codes from childhood.

Despite the regime’s harsh crackdown, which includes public beatings, rapes, and executions of protesters, defiance remains strong.

In response, Iranian authorities have escalated their enforcement of the mandatory hijab, instituting the Noor plan last month, which has seen an increased presence of hijab police, especially in central Tehran, violently cracking down on hijab defiance.

The United Nations has labeled Iran's actions as "gender apartheid," and international rights groups continue to advocate for the oppressed women in Iran, who are battling against the stringent laws.

Iran’s Me Too movement has documented systematic state-sanctioned sexual violence against women and girls.