Machete-Wielding Attacker Shot in Presidential Complex in Tehran
Security was heightened even further in June, after two militants linked to the Islamic State simultaneously attacked the Parliament
and the tomb of the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, killing 17 and wounding dozens.
Nerves have been put on edge lately by nationwide protests
that started on Dec. 28 and raged in around 80 cities amid widespread criticism of Mr. Rouhani’s economic and social policies.
5, 2018
TEHRAN — A man wielding a machete was shot on Monday while trying to enter the central Tehran
offices of Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, in a surprising breach of security.
The intruder, described by state-run news media as around 35 years old, wore a white
martyr’s shroud, a symbol in Shiite Islam signifying willingness to die for a cause.
Mr. Rouhani was never in danger: He had left the building to attend a symposium on public transportation, local news media reported.
He brushed past a lone guard at the entrance of the presidential complex, a white, two-story building in central Tehran.
