Regional Round-up

This week in Iran’s provinces: Mayor resigns after Hassan Khomeini speech is canceled; another armed clash in Sistan-Baluchistan; Iran’s Red Crescent releases statistics on operations; the alarming rise of “suicide pills”; and residents of Urmia report UFO.

Armed Clash Leaves One Dead, Two Injured

An armed clash between gunmen and police left one dead and two injured in the border area of the Sistan-Baluchistan Province. Though claims of Sunni insurgency have not been confirmed, it’s thought to be the latest in a series of clashes between police and rebel forces. In the latest incident, officers from Sib and Suran County approached a suspicious vehicle and ordered the driver to stop. The driver ignored instructions, speeding off before jumping out of the car along with two other passengers and firing gunshots at police. Officers shot and killed one of the gunmen, and injured the other two.

Borujerd Mayor Resigns After Khomeini Grandson’s Speech Canceled

The mayor of Borujerd was forced to resign after two speeches—including an address by the grandson of Ayataollah Khomeini—were canceled. Hassan Khomeini, who was due to speak to a Borujerd University audience on the subject of the “Scientific Personality of Imam Khomeini," met opposition from hardliners, who claimed they had scheduled a lecture at the same time. Khomeini is widely recognized to hold comparatively reformist views to those held by the hardliner, conservative community.

After city officials took the decision to cancel both events, a committee was set up to review the incident. According to the country's interior minister, Abdolreza Rahman Fazli, the committee concluded that "serious measures" must be taken to address the "negligence and passivity" of the officials who allowed the event to be canceled. "If others intended to hold an event at the same time, they should have picked a different venue," Fazli said. The city of Borujerd's mayor reportedly "accepted responsibility for the failure and shortcoming, and on this basis tendered his resignation, which was accepted hours later by the provincial governor."

Iranian Red Crescent Saved Over 3,000 People from “Certain Death”

During a recent news conference, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Hossein Derakhshan, commended relief and aid teams for their hard work during the month of Ordibehesht (late April/early May). He said that rescue teams saved 3,183 people from “certain death” and assisted 29,889 injured individuals. The figures were released to the media during a briefing on the ordeal of eight mountain climbers, who had been stranded in Natanz, Isfahan province. Two of the men were injured, with one suffering from a broken shinbone. The other six had to be rescued, as they were unable to make their way safely across the pass where their fellow climbers had come into trouble. Traffic incidents were responsible for most casualties, Derakshan told the press, comprising 1,547 recorded cases, while rescue operations in the mountains ranked second.

Alarming Rise in Sale of “Quick and Painless” Suicide Pills

The deputy director of Kermanshah University's food and drug department recently published a report regarding the alarming rise in the sale of aluminium phosphide, or "rice pills", rumored to ensure "quick and painless suicide." Ghobad Mohammadi told ISNA, "Years ago these pills were imported and stored in repositories for use as a pesticide, but unfortunately now, despite a ban, they're being illegally smuggled into Iran and distributed." In Mazandaran alone, there were 68 recorded cases of "rice pill" suicides in 2013. In the last three years, there have been hundreds of suicides linked to the pill, which is said to have been promoted through illegal advertising on social media sites. But Mohammadi described death by the drug as “torturous”, and he and other leading university experts urged authorities to inform the public about the real consequences of taking the drug, recommending the launch of a “counter advertising campaign.”

Mysterious Flying Object Baffles Urmia Residents

On Tuesday May 20, a mysterious flying object briefly brightened the skies of Urmia, leaving residents of the city baffled. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a bright light followed by a light trail that was funnel-shaped. Others described its appearance as similar to that of a horizontal exclamation mark. When rumors began circulating about a possible plane crash, the province's TV station interrupted regular programming to broadcast a statement from a top air traffic official. He denied that any air accident had taken place, or that any aircraft was in the area during the time of the sightings. Residents in Zanjan, Tabriz and Miyaneh are reported to have seen the mysterious flying object at different times during the night.