Protesters Attack Religious School Near Tehran

Protesters chanting anti-regime slogans in Tehran. AP file photo
Protesters chanting anti-regime slogans in Tehran. AP file photo
TT

Protesters Attack Religious School Near Tehran

Protesters chanting anti-regime slogans in Tehran. AP file photo
Protesters chanting anti-regime slogans in Tehran. AP file photo

Anti-regime protesters have attacked a religious school in Karaj province near Tehran, the Fars news agency reported on Saturday.

"At 9 pm (1530 GMT on Friday) they attacked the school and tried to break the doors down and burn things," Fars quoted the head of the school in the town of Ishtehad, Hojatoleslam Hindiani, as saying.

"They were about 500 people and they chanted against the system but they were dispersed by the riot police and some have been arrested," Hindiani said.

Iranian authorities have barely mentioned days of protests in the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad and Tehran, driven by concerns over the economy as well as wider anger at the political system.

Videos on social media in recent days have shown people chanting "Death to the dictator.”

Foreign media are barred from observing or filming "unauthorized" protests.

Fars later reported that a man taking part in a protest in the northern province of Alborz was fatally shot.

The report said a protest was taking place a day earlier in Karaj when someone fired from a car. There were no additional details.

Fars reported authorities arrested 20 protesters and many of the protest leaders were women.



Iran Summons Italian Ambassador over Arrest of Iranian Wanted by US

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
TT

Iran Summons Italian Ambassador over Arrest of Iranian Wanted by US

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Iran's foreign ministry summoned the Italian ambassador on Friday over the detention of an Iranian national wanted by the United States for his alleged role in a deadly drone strike against US forces, Iranian state media reported.

The summons came a day after a similar move by Italy over Iran's arrest of Italian reporter Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran on Dec. 19 while working under a journalist visa.

An Iranian foreign ministry official "urged Italy to reject America's hostage policy - which is contrary to international law, particularly human rights - and provide for Mr. (Mohammad) Abedini's release as soon as possible and prevent damage to bilateral ties", state media reported, according to Reuters.

On Thursday, the Iranian embassy in Rome said Sala was being given all the humanitarian care necessary, and for the first time, linked her case to that of Abedini.

Iran's said on Monday that Sala had been arrested for "violating the laws of the Islamic Republic". It gave no further information.

Sala was detained three days after Abedini, an Iranian businessman, was arrested at Milan's Malpensa airport on a US warrant for allegedly supplying drone parts that Washington says were used in a 2023 attack that killed three US service members in Jordan.

Iran has denied involvement in the attack.

Abedini is currently being held in prison and a court is due to decide this month whether to grant him house arrest while judges consider the US extradition request.

In recent years, Iran's security forces have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.