Man shot after trying to break into office of Iran president

Iranian authorities shot and arrested a man trying to break into the presidential office yesterday, the deputy governor of Tehran said.

“We are trying to identify the person and find out his motivation,” Mohsen Hamedani told the Fars news agency.

It was not clear whether President Hassan Rouhani was in the office at the time of the incident.

The man was wielding a machete, according to Tasnim news agency, and was wearing a white shroud, symbolising his readiness to sacrifice his life.

The attacker was shot in the leg when trying to pass the security gate of the presidential office in the high-security Pasteur Street in central Tehran.

Hamid Reza Goudarzi, deputy security chief, said the 35-year-old man was taken to hospital, according to the Irna news agency.

There was no information on his condition or the possible motive.

Irna said the suspected attacker had managed to pass through the first checkpoint, one of several.

Protesters have been gathering in front of the building in recent years to show their anger against rising prices and unemployment. Many Iranians who lost their savings after investments in unlicensed credit and financial institutions gather there almost every month, asking for their money back.