Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi cancels interview with Christiane Amanpour after she refuses to wear head scarf

by Charlie Smith on September 22nd, 2022 at 9:01 AM

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It seemed like an ideal time for veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour to interview the president of Iran.

Ebraham Raisi had come to New York to speak to the United Nations. And while he was in America, Iranian police were battling antigovernment protesters in Tehran who were enraged about the death of a 22-year-old woman.

Mahsa Amini died while in the custody of Iran's morality police.

But Raisi abruptly cancelled the scheduled interview with Amanpour because she had politely told his aide that she would refuse to cover her head.

"We are in New York, where there is no law or tradition requiring headscarves," Amanpour tweeted. "I pointed out that no previous Iranian president has required this when I have interviewed them outside Iran.

"The aide made it clear that the interview would not happen if I did not wear a headscarf," she added. "He said it was 'a matter of respect,' and referred to 'the situation in Iran' - alluding to the protests sweeping the country."

The BBC has reported that protests in Iran are in their seventh day and have spread to 80 cities and towns. So far, Iranian state television has reported that 17 people have died.

You can read Amanpour's Twitter thread below.