IRGC: Attacker on Presidential Institution was a Protester

The spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that an individual's attempt to enter the Presidential Institution with a "dagger" was not a "terrorist" act, and this person only intended to "make their voice of protest heard by an official." According to ISNA news agency, on Friday, February 20, Ramadan Sharif stated that the attempt to enter the Presidential Institution was not a "terrorist" act. He emphasized that this action was a "simple incident" and that the individual had a "protest" and intended to "bring their voice of protest to the attention of an official." Mr. Ramadan Sharif added: "This individual apparently also carried a cold weapon, and the officers intended to stop him with a warning and warning shots, but he did not pay attention, and therefore they were forced to shoot." He also mentioned that this individual "did not suffer serious injuries." On Tuesday, February 16, reports emerged about an individual dressed in a shroud attempting to enter the Presidential Institution with a "dagger." Hours after these reports were published, Mohsen Hamdani, the security deputy of the Tehran governor, announced that this person was injured by the gunfire of the security forces and was transferred to the hospital. Ismail Qotri, the deputy commander of the Tharallah Headquarters in Tehran, stated on February 18 that "preliminary interrogations have shown that this action had no political aspect and he is not affiliated with any political group." He mentioned that this individual is under 30 years old. Previously, there have been attacks on government buildings in Iran, including the Parliament building and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran, which were targeted in two simultaneous attacks on June 7, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility hours later. In that attack, 17 people were killed and more than 50 were injured. Following that, Iranian security and judicial officials announced that dozens of individuals were arrested in the provinces of Alborz, West Azerbaijan, Fars, Kermanshah, and Kurdistan. In this context, the Tehran governor's office stated that the IRGC would provide information about the shooting at the Presidential Institution "if necessary." The Iranian presidential security forces prevented the entry of the "dagger-wielding individual" by firing shots.