According to Iranian authorities, a security guard at a bank in the northern province of Mazandaran shot and killed Ayatollah Abbas Ali Soleimani, a senior Iranian cleric and member of a powerful government committee, on Wednesday. CCTV footage shown on Iranian news media shows the cleric sitting on a chair in the bank when the security guard approaches him from behind, points his rifle at his head, and fires a shot. Ayatollah Soleimani, 75, slumps in the chair, his white turban knocked to the floor, as the guard calmly wanders to the side. Two men grab the security guard and wrestle away his gun, then seem to let him slip away. The authorities said he was later apprehended. The shooting appeared to target only the cleric, and no other injuries were reported.
“So far, our information and documents indicate that this was not a security or terrorist act,”…
2023-04-26 16:51:52
Original from www.nytimes.com