Without more information it is probably a ploy. I did see on Twitter someone from Iran stating that there is a chism within the religious leaders (the patriarchy, properly used here in its literal sense), so who knows?
And yes, on Afghanistan. I followed the earlier Taliban rule in great detail (my entry into feminism), and I didn't see any concrete changes at all. In fact, even then the officials, when interviewed, always stated that later women will get some rights, later girls can go to school etc. So very similar politics.