Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has instructed Iranian education and health institutions to facilitate the admission of Azerbaijani students who have been denied access to education under a recent hijab ban in schools.

In a message posted on his X account on Sunday, Aref praised the Science Ministry for welcoming the admission of Azerbaijani girls who wear hijab and have been deprived of educational opportunities in their country.

He also called on the ministers of health and education, as well as the head of Islamic Azad University, to take the necessary steps to enable Azerbaijani school and university students to continue their education.

Iranian minister invites Azerbaijani girls to study at Iranian universities after Baku’s headscarf ban in schools

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology has invited Azerbaijani girls to study at Iranian universities following Baku’s hijab ban in schools.

Last month, Azerbaijan’s cabinet of ministers adopted a resolution that prohibits items of clothing that allegedly violate uniform school dress code requirements and contradict the principle of secular education.

Earlier this month, the Baku City Education Department announced inspections to check whether students and teachers comply with the measure.

Although the ban does not explicitly mention the hijab, videos circulated online indicate that it applies specifically to headscarves.

The ban has sparked protests, with teachers saying that some schools were demanding that they remove their hijabs or resign.

The measure has also sparked condemnation worldwide, with social media users denouncing it as the religious persecution of the country's Muslim-majority population.