First lady diplomacy: 'soft power' at its finest

Fashionable first ladies: Peng Liyuan and Michelle Obama

The first time the public got a glimpse of the first lady of Iran, wife of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was during a trip the couple made to Malaysia on March, 2006. Farari, who often hid from the spotlight, shocked the world with her thorough knowledge of diplomacy and politics, her graceful manners and the clear-cut points she made during her speech.

She strictly followed her religious beliefs and kept most of her body covered under black traditional clothing. Only her eyes were showing (they themselves were behind glasses), and she never mentioned her name.

Since then, she has appeared in public on several occasions, such as on June 2, 2009 to support her husband on his election and on November 15, 2009 to attend a symposium on food safety in Rome, Italy.

Nevertheless, most things about her, as with herself, are still hidden under the veil.