Since the beginning of December 2022, more than 200 female students, about 10 years old, have complained of symptoms of poisoning in 12 schools in Qom and Borujerd, south of Tehran. Only yesterday on February 26, the Iranian Deputy Minister of Health, Younes Panahi, actually admitted that someone who intended to close girls’ schools was behind these cases, as is already happening in Afghanistan. On February 14, IRNA reported, a group of parents protested in front of the city governor’s residence to “demand clarifications.” It also reports BBC PersiaAccording to the Iranian deputy minister, the serial poisoning incidents could have been caused by “easily available chemical compounds,” thus ruling out that the materials used could have come from military environments or could be infectious. In light of the first elements that emerged with the investigations conducted by the Iranian Ministry of Education and Intelligence, the Iranian Deputy Minister of Health said: “It turns out that some individuals want to close all schools, especially girls’ schools.” No arrests have been announced at this time.

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