The amendment, adopted with 177 votes in favor, 43 against and 8 abstentions, forms part of a broader reform of laws governing the enforcement of financial convictions.
Under the new measure, if mahrieh is set at 14 gold coins or less, normal enforcement rules apply. For higher amounts, only the husband’s financial ability will determine payment, and imprisonment will be replaced with electronic monitoring, the spokesperson of the parliament’s president boarding Abbas Goudarzi explained.
The passage of the proposal prompted an unusual celebratory reaction from one lawmaker, who exclaimed, “Oh, great!” a moment that circulated widely on Iranian media and social networks.
Supporters argue the reform eases pressure on men imprisoned for unpaid mahrieh, with some MPs claiming the amendment was driven by mounting appeals from those facing incarceration.
Opponents, including women’s rights advocates and several female lawmakers, condemned the move as deepening gender inequality.
Critics such as Azar Mansouri, the head of the Reformists Party, said the measure fails to address “structural inequalities in family law” and instead further weakens women’s financial protections in marriage.
Parliament officials later clarified that the 14-coin limit applies only to enforcement mechanisms, not the mahrieh amount couples may agree upon.
The bill must be approved by the Guardian Council to become law. The Council determines whether the legislation complies with Islamic law and the Iranian Constitution.