Iranian president Raisi blames ‘foreign enemies’ for schoolgirl poisonings
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Alaina
- . March 4, 2023
- . Update: March 4, 2023 4:15 pm
The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati AKA Ebrahim Raisi, has blamed foreign enemies for a wave of poisonings of hundreds of schoolgirls across the country.
In a speech in southern Iran on Friday, Raisi said, “This is a security project to cause chaos in the country whereby the enemy seeks to instil fear and insecurity among parents and students.” However, he did not reveal the names of the foreign enemies.
Since November 2022, there have been reports of unexplained poison attacks on school girls across four cities in Iran. Around 1,200 students have been affected across Iran since November. The wave of poisonings caused respiratory issues, nausea, weakness, dizziness and fatigue in students. This incident took place in over 30 schools in at least four cities in the holy city of Qom.
Recently, the Iranian health minister said that hundreds of girls in different schools have suffered due to apparent toxic gas attacks. Reportedly, another wave of apparent toxic gas attacks took place in Ardabil, Tehran, Qom and Borujerd.
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The new gas poisonings forced the hospitalisation of 108 school students in Ardabil. Students suffered due to a toxic spray in three schools in Tehran. Almost 800 students were hospitalised in the city of Qom. Nearly 400 students were hospitalised in Borujerd. According to Iranian officials, a fuel tanker was also found next to a school in a Tehran suburb. Later on, the same tanker had also been found in Qom and Boroujerd.
Iranian deputy health minister, Younes Panahi, said that the attack was carried out with the intention of shutting down education for girls. He said that some people wanted to close girls’ schools.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi revealed that the authorities arrested some people in relation to the case.
On Friday, the United Nations (UN) human rights office called for a transparent investigation into the alleged attacks.
