Women weightlifters from Iran will be allowed to compete internationally for the first time, the president of the country's weightlifting federation said on Thursday.
In a sign of changing attitudes, Saudi Arabia also confirmed the setting up of a women's program, opening the way to the country also fielding a national women's team.
Iran has one of the world's strongest weightlifting cultures and its men have won seven Olympic gold medals this century.
Ali Moradi, president of the Iranian Weightlifting Federation, said, "We have established the Iran Weightlifting Federation Women's Committee and we have talented female athletes.
"They have high capacity like men athletes, and I hope that, wearing special clothes for Muslim athletes, they will be able to take part in international championships in the near future."
Attila Adamfi, director general of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), said: "This is good news, and it's very significant in Iran, where weightlifting is at the highest level for men, and zero level for women."
Iran and Saudi Arabia are the biggest Islamic nations yet to compete in female weightlifting.
Both countries field men's teams at the IWF World Championships in California starting next week.
Women were barred from weightlifting until 1983 but began competing at the world championships from 1987 and at the Olympic Games from 2000.
