Dozens of schools for girls in Iran have been targeted by chemical attacks in recent weeks. Videos have emerged showing schoolgirls struggling to breathe, leading many to question whether the attacks are a deliberate attempt to harm young women.

Officials have been accused of attempting to downplay the scale of the problem, with some blaming “mass hysteria” for the illnesses, which have affected thousands of students across the country. Despite this, many believe the attacks are a systematic and organized crime carried out by the state.

The attacks began almost three months ago, but the situation has escalated in recent weeks, with hundreds of girls falling ill. The state-run ISNA News Agency has reported that around 5,000 male and female students have been poisoned across 25 provinces.

The Iranian regime has been criticized for its failure to investigate the attacks and apprehend those responsibly. Many believe that the security services are deliberately neglecting their duties, as they have been able to apprehend terrorists and criminals in other cases.

Protests have erupted across Iran, with students and parents expressing their outrage at the attacks. Some have been met with violence, with anti-riot forces attacking protesters in several cities. Despite this, the demonstrations have continued, with protesters chanting slogans such as “freedom, freedom, freedom.”

The chemical attacks have taken place in at least 250 schools across 25 provinces, leading many to believe that they are not the work of individual actors. The substances used are not easily accessible, and the extent of the attacks suggests that a large and organized operation is responsible.

“The gases that poisoned the students are inaccessible to ordinary people. “In these incidents, mixed gases are used for poisoning and are used very intelligently,” Dr. Mohammadreza Hashemian, a doctor in the special care department of Masih Daneshvari Hospital, told the state-run Roydad 24 website on March 4.

Critics have accused the regime of targeting young women in an attempt to spread fear among the population. This comes after a series of protests and uprisings across Iran, in which young women have played a leading role.

The situation has been condemned by many, with Iranian opposition President-elect Maryam Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI):

“The regime is trying to downplay the heinous crime of poisoning school students out of fear of backlash. Contrary to the regime’s lies, the toxic gases used in schools are not accessible to the public.”

Maryam Rajavi: “We express our sympathies to the parents of the students affected by the chain poisoning of schoolgirls in various cities of Iran, and we salute their resistance and protest against this criminal regime.

MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI  (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTub