“If it is proven that the students were poisoned, the perpetrators of this crime must be severely punished. There will be no amnesty for them,” the Leader stressed.
Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks on Monday as he planted saplings to mark Iran’s national Arbor Day.
“Officials should seriously pursue the issue of students poisoning. This is a big and unforgivable crime,” the Leader said.
Since November 2022, some Iranian students have reported symptoms of poisoning while in school. The outbreak started in the central city of Qom before expanding to other cities.
In most cases, students suffered respiratory problems, nausea, fatigue and dizziness, while some were hospitalized.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi has ordered the ministers of intelligence and interior to follow up on the poisoning cases.
“The enemy’s new conspiracy of creating fear in the hearts of students… and their parents is a crime and an in humane act,” he said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday.