diff --git a/src/preprint-changes.xsl b/src/preprint-changes.xsl
index 8818615804..b3e49d863e 100644
--- a/src/preprint-changes.xsl
+++ b/src/preprint-changes.xsl
@@ -1125,6 +1125,20 @@
                                                                     |italic[bold[xref]]">
          <xsl:apply-templates select="*|text()|comment()|processing-instruction()"/>
     </xsl:template>
+    
+    <!-- Strip or convert HTML <i> tags -->
+    <xsl:template xml:id="strip-i-tags" match="i">
+        <xsl:choose>
+            <xsl:when test="ancestor::italic">
+                <xsl:apply-templates select="*|text()|comment()|processing-instruction()"/>
+            </xsl:when>
+            <xsl:otherwise>
+                <xsl:element name="italic">
+                    <xsl:apply-templates select="*|text()|comment()|processing-instruction()"/>
+                </xsl:element>
+            </xsl:otherwise>
+        </xsl:choose>
+    </xsl:template>
 
     <!-- Strip unnecessary bolding and italicisation above citations -->
     <xsl:template xml:id="strip-bold-italic-from-above-xref" match="bold[xref]|italic[xref]">
diff --git a/test/tests/preprint-changes/all/input.xml b/test/tests/preprint-changes/all/input.xml
index e24a944f95..d41489889a 100644
--- a/test/tests/preprint-changes/all/input.xml
+++ b/test/tests/preprint-changes/all/input.xml
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@
 </sec>
 <sec id="s3">
 <title>MATERIALS &amp; METHODS</title>
+<p><italic><bold><i>some text</i></bold></italic></p>
+<p><i>ital<bold>ics</bold></i></p>
 </sec>
 </body>
 <back>
diff --git a/test/tests/preprint-changes/all/output.xml b/test/tests/preprint-changes/all/output.xml
index bd8dea7f39..9b37ba403c 100644
--- a/test/tests/preprint-changes/all/output.xml
+++ b/test/tests/preprint-changes/all/output.xml
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@
 </sec>
 <sec id="s3">
 <title>Materials &amp; methods</title>
+<p><italic><bold>some text</bold></italic></p>
+<p><italic>ital<bold>ics</bold></italic></p>
 </sec>
 </body>
 <back>
diff --git a/test/tests/preprint-changes/strip-i-tags/input.xml b/test/tests/preprint-changes/strip-i-tags/input.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b4a01894ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tests/preprint-changes/strip-i-tags/input.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<!--Testing template with id: strip-i-tags-->
+<sec id="s3">
+<p><italic><bold><i>some text</i></bold></italic></p>
+<p><i>ital<bold>ics</bold></i></p>
+</sec>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/tests/preprint-changes/strip-i-tags/output.xml b/test/tests/preprint-changes/strip-i-tags/output.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9e85b44283
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tests/preprint-changes/strip-i-tags/output.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<!--Testing template with id: strip-i-tags-->
+<sec id="s3">
+<p><italic><bold>some text</bold></italic></p>
+<p><italic>ital<bold>ics</bold></italic></p>
+</sec>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/xspec/countries.xml b/test/xspec/countries.xml
index c41768b467..ab40adc143 100755
--- a/test/xspec/countries.xml
+++ b/test/xspec/countries.xml
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@
     <country country="IS">Iceland</country>
     <country country="IN">India</country>
     <country country="ID">Indonesia</country>
+    <country country="IR">Iran</country>
     <country country="IR">Islamic Republic of Iran</country>
     <country country="IQ">Iraq</country>
     <country country="IE">Ireland</country>
diff --git a/test/xspec/preprint-changes.xspec b/test/xspec/preprint-changes.xspec
index 8571de6e08..0e16ce5045 100644
--- a/test/xspec/preprint-changes.xspec
+++ b/test/xspec/preprint-changes.xspec
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@
       <x:context href="../tests/preprint-changes/strip-bold-italic-around-xref/input.xml"/>
       <x:expect label="Testing the template: strip-bold-italic-around-xref" href="../tests/preprint-changes/strip-bold-italic-around-xref/output.xml"/>
     </x:scenario>
+    <x:scenario label="strip-i-tags">
+      <x:context href="../tests/preprint-changes/strip-i-tags/input.xml"/>
+      <x:expect label="Testing the template: strip-i-tags" href="../tests/preprint-changes/strip-i-tags/output.xml"/>
+    </x:scenario>
     <x:scenario label="strip-bold-italic-from-above-xref">
       <x:context href="../tests/preprint-changes/strip-bold-italic-from-above-xref/input.xml"/>
       <x:expect label="Testing the template: strip-bold-italic-from-above-xref" href="../tests/preprint-changes/strip-bold-italic-from-above-xref/output.xml"/>