Iranian media reported that women were once again denied entry to a football stadium to watch an international match, leaving hundreds of ticketed fans stranded.
Iran won 2-0 against Lebanon in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night at the Imam Reza stadium in Mashhad, in the northeastern city.
"About 2,000 Iranian women who had purchased tickets for the Iran-Lebanon match were present on the Imam Reza stadium's perimeter but were unable to enter the stadium," according to the ISNA news agency.
"A total of 12,500 tickets were sold for this match, with 2,000 reserved for women," it added.
Mashhad Governor Mohsen Davari told IRIB state television: "I apologise for the fact that many people were unable to enter the stadium...
"Unfortunately, the game wasn't really broadcast to a large number of people outside the stadium."In response to the uproar, President Ebrahim Raisi ordered the interior ministry to investigate the incident on Wednesday.
For the first time in almost three years, women were permitted to attend a World Cup qualifier against Iraq in January.
