Masoumeh Ebtekar

Masoumeh Ebtekar, born on September twenty-first, nineteen sixty, is a prominent Iranian politician and immunologist. She has made significant contributions to environmental policy as the head of the Department of Environment from nineteen ninety-seven to two thousand five and again from two thousand thirteen to two thousand seventeen. Her groundbreaking appointment in nineteen ninety-seven marked her as the third female member of Iran's Cabinet and the first since the Islamic Revolution in nineteen seventy-nine.

In addition to her environmental work, Ebtekar served as the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs from two thousand seventeen to two thousand twenty-one. Currently, she is a full-time professor in the Immunology Department at the School of Medical Sciences at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, where she continues to influence the next generation of scientists.

Ebtekar gained international attention during the Iran hostage crisis, serving as the spokesperson for the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line. Her English broadcasts earned her various nicknames from the American media, including 'Mary' and 'Screaming Mary.' The crisis, which lasted four hundred forty-four days, significantly impacted U.S.-Iran relations and was sanctioned by Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran at the time.

Despite her political stance, Ebtekar's family has faced scrutiny, particularly her oldest son, Eissa Hashemi, who has lived in the United States since the early two thousand tens. In April twenty twenty-six, U.S. federal agents arrested Eissa and his family, leading to their detention and pending deportation due to their connection with Ebtekar. Her political journey also includes her role in the Islamic City Council of Tehran from two thousand seven to two thousand thirteen and her affiliation with the Islamic Iran Participation Front, which was banned in two thousand ten.