First Iranian Woman Named Member of the International Olympic Committee

March 01, 2026 

Iranian badminton player Soraya Aghaei Hajiagha has scripted history by becoming the first Iranian woman to be appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This appointment also made her only the third person from her country to be elected as a member of the committee. The IOC’s responsibilities involve overseeing national Olympic committees and regulating modern Olympic games. Hajiagha is the committee’s 107th member and her term will span eight years. The 30-year-old is presently the youngest member of the committee. Hajiagha participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, achieving another milestone as the first female badminton athlete to represent her country at the Olympic Games.