Iran has arrested suspects for the first time in its investigation into the mass poisoning of schoolgirls. Deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi told state media the arrests occurred in five different provinces.
It has not been disclosed how many people have been arrested. It is still unclear why the children were poisoned and what substance was used. The mysterious attacks may be aimed at preventing girls from attending school, Iranian officials said earlier.
The first report dates from November. The victims developed complaints such as dizziness and breathing problems after smelling a strange odour at school. As a result, hundreds of girls were hospitalized. Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared that the perpetrators should be severely punished.
The poisonings led to new protests against the regime in Tehran, which already had to deal with great discontent among the population. Iranians have been holding large anti-government demonstrations since September. Those protests started after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
The morality police arrested her for allegedly not wearing her headscarf properly, and she died in detention.