Iran Claims Team With Links to Foreign Media, Protests, Poisoned Girls To Foment Fear

The Iranian Interior Ministry has reported that an investigation into the poisoning of over 700 female students across Iran revealed the use of “stimulant substances” in six provinces. In a statement published on its website, the ministry said the Iranian intelligence and security forces arrested a number of individuals involved in procuring and exposing students to the substances.

The ministry charged that the arrested suspects include a four-member team, three of whom had previous criminal records and links to foreign media that, it claimed, played a role in the recent anti-government protests. The motive behind the poisonings was to cause fear and anxiety among students to force the closure of schools, the statement added.

The incidents of poisoning began on Nov. 30, 2022, in the Qom province, and have since spread to over 30 schools across the country. Most of the affected students were soon released from the hospital after receiving treatment, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has vowed to give maximum punishment to the perpetrators and urged law enforcement to pursue anyone responsible for the incidents.