A new spate of suspected poisonous-gas attacks has hit Iranian girls schools in several towns and cities this week, after authorities said they had arrested scores of people over earlier incidents.
There have been reports of cases in Tehran and the northwestern city of Ardebil, according to the reformist Etemad newspaper. The BBC said schools have been targeted in Urumie, Khoy, Karaj and the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, citing rights groups and unverified videos received from viewers.
The attacks suggest a revival of a wave of poisonings first reported in November, when Iran was gripped by nationwide protests over the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The demonstrations have been stifled by the deadly response of security forces, but women have continued to defy Iran’s strict laws governing what they wear in public by abandoning head scarves and coverings.
