The state of readiness in Qom, one of the main holy cities of Iran, located 150 kilometers south of Tehran. In recent months, someone has poisoned hundreds of schoolgirls in an attempt to force the closure of girls’ schools. The shocking statement came from the health department, writes RaiNews

Since the end of November, local media have reported cases of respiratory poisoning in hundreds of schoolgirls aged 10 and over who attended schools in the city. As the “Irna” press agency reports, on February 14, parents gathered outside the city hall to “ask for an explanation.” The same Iranian press agency writes on Sunday, February 26: “Today, Deputy Health Minister Youness Panahi directly confirmed that the poisoning was intentional.”

“The Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Education are working together to find the source of the poisoning,” said government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi. “It turned out that some people wanted all schools, especially girls’ schools, to be closed,” Minister Panahi said. No arrests have been reported.

The poisoning was caused by “chemical compounds that are not available for military use and are not contagious or transmissible,” the minister added, without giving further details. The city of Qom is the center of Shiite religious studies in Iran.