The United States has declined to take a firm stand after a member of Iran’s electoral overseer said women will be barred from standing in Iran’s June presidential election.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington would not comment on specific candidates. She also noted that Iranian authorities must approve all candidates.
The spokeswoman said that, broadly, the United States supports women participating in elections for public office.
Earlier, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, a member of the Guardian Council, said Iranian law prohibits women from being president.
The Guardian Council approves all candidates for Iran’s presidency and parliament.
A total of 686 people, including some women, have registered to run to replace President Mahmud Ahmadinejad in the June 14 election.
The final list of approved candidates is expected to be announced early next week.