On October 23, local time, the inauguration of a new governor of Iran was dramatically interrupted. A man suddenly walked straight to the podium and slapped the new governor. According to Iranian media reports, the man slapped the governor because he was dissatisfied with his wife being vaccinated by male medical care.
The man slapped Iran's new governor instantly
At the time of the incident, the new governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province, Zeinolabedin Khorram, was giving an inaugural speech at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tabriz, the capital of the province, CNN reported. According to a video posted online by Iran's Fars news agency, a man emerged from the side of the stage and walked straight to Holam, who was standing next to the podium.
At first, Holam didn't notice the man until he slapped him in the head. Seeing this, some people in the audience stood up, and Khoram on the stage slowly retreated backwards. But the man was clearly not ready to leave, and he gradually approached Holam and began to push him.
A few seconds later, multiple security guards rushed to the stage, stopped the attacker, and pulled him off the stage.
The inauguration did not end there, and soon after, Holam returned to the podium and responded to the surprise. According to the Associated Press, he said he did not know the man and mentioned that he was "whipped ten times a day by the enemy" when he was in Syria, and that he was pointed at the head with a loaded gun more than ten times. "I think he (the attacker) is the same as those enemies, but please forgive him."
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Khoram was kidnapped by Syrian rebels while serving in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The attacker was a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Ashoura Corps, which was once run by Khoram. The outlet also said the attack was for "personal reasons," but did not elaborate. According to Iran's Tasnim news agency, the attacker has been identified as a member of the country's military, named Ayoub Alizadeh.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Radio and Television Station (IRIB) reported on the man's motive for the attack. In an interview with IRIB, Holam reiterated that he did not know the attackers. Holam also said the attacker told police after his arrest that he was unhappy that his wife had received covid-19 vaccines from a male health care worker rather than a female health care worker, so he slapped Holam.
The Fars News Agency's report also reflects this claim. According to the media staff, because of the lack of female medical personnel in the vaccination center where the attacker's wife went, male medical staff were asked to help vaccinate. A senior official in the Province of East Azerbaijan later explained that this was an exception. According to it, several vaccination centers in East Azerbaijan Province divide the sexes of the vaccinated people, taking into account "religion and morality". The attacker's wife, on the other hand, could refuse to let her vaccinate in the face of only male health care workers.