March 13, 2023 | The Wall Street Journal
Who Is Poisoning Iranian Schoolgirls?
The attacks, which have sickened thousands, are the latest evidence that the regime is losing its grip.
March 13, 2023 | The Wall Street Journal
Who Is Poisoning Iranian Schoolgirls?
The attacks, which have sickened thousands, are the latest evidence that the regime is losing its grip.
Excerpt
Iranian news outlets began reporting three months ago that schoolgirls were falling ill with headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and breathing difficulties. The shrine city of Qom, historic seat of the clerical establishment, appears to have been ground zero, but 25 of the country’s 31 provinces have reported similar outbreaks. A parliamentarian who is part of a fact-finding commission said that upward of 5,000 students and teachers might have been poisoned.
Official reaction ranged from surprise and denial to grudging acknowledgment. Last week the Interior Ministry reported the arrest of several suspects. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called the poisoning “a major and unforgivable crime.”
Mr. Gerecht, a former Iranian-targets officer in the Central Intelligence Agency, is a resident scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Mr. Takeyh is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Follow Reuel on Twitter @ReuelMGerecht. FDD is a nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.