West News Wire: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has labeled the alleged poisoning of pupils in Iranian schools “unforgivable and massive” crime and urged authorities to take the matter seriously.
“If it is established that the students were poisoned, the offenders must face harsh punishment. They won’t be granted amnesty, Khamenei emphasized.
On Monday, Ali Khamenei made the comments while planting trees to commemorate Iran’s national Arbor Day.
“Officials should take the poisoning of pupils seriously. This is a serious offense that cannot be excused, Khamenei said.
Ali Khamenei stated that accountable parties, like as intelligence and law enforcement organizations, should track down the crime’s inception as well as the perpetrators and organizers.
“This is a crime, as it is perpetrated against the most innocent members of the society, the children. It also causes fear and psychological insecurity in the society and worries families. These issues should be followed seriously, and if the perpetrators are convicted, there will be no amnesty for them. And they must be punished and their punishment should serve as a lesson,” he added.
Since November 2022, some Iranian students have reported symptoms of poisoning while in school. The outbreak started in the central city of Qom before expanding to other cities.
In most cases, students suffered respiratory problems, nausea, fatigue and dizziness, while some were hospitalized.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi has also ordered the ministers of intelligence and interior to follow up on the poisoning cases.
“The enemy’s new conspiracy of creating fear in the hearts of students and their parents is a crime and an inhumane act,” he said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Ali Khamenei also referred to economic issues, saying, the country’s current problems regarding the value of the national currency, inflation and the high cost of living are the result of a single-product economy.
“Officials should use all possible economic ways to find the right solution to people’s problems,” he added.
