Iran's deputy industry minister injured in attack by unidentified men

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - Iran's deputy minister for industry, mine and trade was attacked by unidentified assailants while heading toward home on Thursday, according to local media reports.

Mohammad Mahdi Baradaran came under attack near his residence in Tehran, Eghtesad Online news agency said, adding that he was "hit with a hard object on his head and face and other parts of the body."

The attack reportedly left the official gravely injured, after which he was immediately shifted to a hospital for medical treatment.

There has been no official statement from the government on the incident.

Baradaran, who previously held senior positions at Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad as well as the Mashhad Municipality, has been instrumental in leading the Industry Ministry's fight against the smuggling of goods and counterfeit products.

The reported attack on him came amid tension and unrest in the country fueled by protests and violence sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in mid-September.

While no attack had been reported on senior government officials so far, there have been numerous cases of fatal attacks on police and paramilitary forces in different cities.

Gen. Amirali Hajizadeh, the aerospace commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in his remarks on Tuesday said more than 300 people have been killed in the sweeping protests, the first such official acknowledgment.