A Friday prayer leader in Iran’s southeastern border county of Mirjaveh was assassinated by unidentified armed assailants early Monday, prompting strong condemnation from local officials.
Mokhtar Mohsen Mobaraki, the governor of Mirjaveh, said Molavi Mohammad Anvar Rigi, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the city, was attacked by unidentified gunmen in the early hours of Monday and later succumbed to the severity of his injuries.
Condemning the “terrorist act,” Mobaraki said the attack was “an unsuccessful attempt to undermine the security, tranquility, and unity of the people of Sistan and Baluchestan Province.”
Security, law enforcement, and judicial authorities were thoroughly investigating the incident, he said, adding that “identifying, arresting, and punishing the perpetrators of this blind terrorist crime is being pursued decisively.”
The governor urged residents to remain calm, vigilant, and united, calling on them to obtain information about the incident only from official sources and not allow “the enemies” to exploit such criminal acts to sow discord and division among the people.
Emphasizing that unity between Shia and Sunni communities is “a valuable asset,” Mobaraki said the people of Sistan and Baluchestan have consistently stood vigilant against enemy plots and that the attack would not undermine the region’s solidarity or security.
Ali Kord, the parliamentary representative for the Khash constituency, also condemned the attack and extended condolences to Rigi’s family, religious scholars, Friday prayer leaders, seminary students, and the people of Sistan and Baluchestan.
In his message, Kord described the assassination as “the terrorist and cowardly attack of criminal mercenaries,” adding that “such blind and dishonorable acts will not weaken the resolve of the province’s border residents and revolutionary people; rather, they will strengthen the people’s unity, solidarity and cohesion.”
He also called on provincial security, military, judicial and political authorities, along with religious scholars, tribal elders and community leaders, to identify, arrest and punish those responsible and deliver a decisive response to the perpetrators and supporters of terrorism.
Mirjaveh, a border county in southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan, has long been presented by provincial officials as a symbol of coexistence and unity among different ethnic and religious communities.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said terrorist groups seek to undermine security and provoke division, but that public vigilance and cooperation with security forces have thwarted such attempts.
