Iranian peace and environment activist An activist who made a name for herself in 1979 as a 19-year-old revolutionary student who became chief interpreter in the 444-day US embassy siege in Tehran is an inspiration for movement for better environment. Appointed Iran's vice-president by President Khatami in 1997, Massoumeh Ebtekar later became an inspired environment minister. She left government office in 2005, is now a Tehran city councillor and heads the Centre for Peace and the Environment.