Official Baku has issued a harsh response to remarks by Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, regarding the decision on school dress codes in Azerbaijan. The Ministry of Science and Education accused Sarraf of attempting to interfere in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs.
So who is Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, who targeted Azerbaijan, and what has he done?
According to an investigation by Globalinfo.az, Sarraf is known for his positive statements and stance regarding Armenia.
Meeting with Andreasyan
On September 8, 2025, Simaei-Sarraf met with Zhanna Andreasyan, Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, who was on a visit to Iran. As a result of the meeting, a memorandum of cooperation in education covering the years 2025–2029 was signed between the two countries.
The Iranian minister stated that Iran possesses great university potential and long-term experience in various scientific fields. He invited his Armenian counterpart to tour Iran’s science and technology parks.
Teacher exchange
The parties discussed establishing ties between universities, exchanging teachers and scientists, sharing educational programs, and the mutual recognition of diplomas.
The memorandum signed between the two countries provides for expanding scientific and educational ties on an institutional basis. Under the document, the establishment of direct links between higher education institutions, mutual visits by professors and teachers, and information exchanges regarding educational systems are planned.
Yerevan’s “support” for Iran during wartime
On March 31, 2026, Hossein Simaei-Sarraf held a phone conversation with Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan.
According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, during the conversation Simaei-Sarraf expressed gratitude for the material and moral support provided by the Armenian people and government during the war waged against Iran by the United States and Israel.
He stated that Iran is not an advocate of war and claimed that during political talks in the last two wars, the opposing side betrayed diplomacy.
Interestingly, Azerbaijan had provided humanitarian aid on a much larger scale to Iran during that period. However, Sarraf remained silent about this and did not thank Azerbaijan.
Silence on Karabakh
Hossein Simaei-Sarraf’s silence regarding the destruction committed by Armenians in Karabakh, the desecration of mosques, and the misuse of religious monuments draws attention. Amid widespread reports about several mosques in Azerbaijan being rendered unusable and some being used to shelter animals during the occupation, the Iranian official’s failure to address these issues raises questions.
Sarraf’s approach to relations with Armenia also provides grounds for comparison, given that he framed the standardized school uniform in Azerbaijan as a “hijab ban” and interpreted the issue in the context of hostility toward religion. An official who speaks of religious sensitivity failing to express a position on the damage inflicted on Muslim religious heritage in Karabakh cannot be viewed unequivocally.
Not quite the expert he claims to be
It is nothing more than political manipulation for a minister of a system that denies millions of Azerbaijanis in Iran the right to education in their native mother tongue to purport to defend the rights of students in Azerbaijan, while actually exploiting this subject for his own ends.
Aliyar Khalil
Globalinfo.az
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