Jamileh Alamolhoda, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s spouse, is stepping increasingly into the spotlight. She has taken a public role since her husband took office in Aug. 2021, particularly defending the Islamic Republic’s record on women’s rights. Alamolhoda has also built significant influence behind the scenes in Raisi’s government.

However, her apparent moves to expand power have reportedly irked establishment figures. This includes Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who may block her seeming efforts to become more influential.

Last month, Alamolhoda accompanied Raisi on his five-day tour of Latin American countries. Comments she made in an interview on Venezuelan television during the trip sparked widespread coverage.

Alamolhoda defended the position of women in Iran and gave her views on women studying, working, and living “like men”—describing it as a form of violence. The president’s wife also attributed the unrest that followed the Sept. 2022 death of a young Iranian women in morality police custody to the role of...