Julie Bishop is to become the first senior Australian government figure to visit Iran in more than a decade and only the second senior Western leader over that same period, when she travels to Tehran in April.

The trip is being viewed as a potential game-changer in the fight against the Sunni-extremist Islamic State organisation, but it could also help unlock lucrative economic opportunities for Australia - reviving a once booming trade in education, wheat, meat, and other areas.

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop will visit Tehran in April. Credit:Joe Armao

It is understood the rare visit by a senior US-aligned government figure has received the enthusiastic backing of the White House, which hopes Australia might provide a conduit for a new constructive dialogue between Washington and Tehran given the common enemy currently rampaging through Iraq, Syria, and now Libya.

It follows a specific invitation by the country's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif.