A nine-year-old Iranian boy has been killed after the police opened fire at his father's car in Iran's Khuzestan province on Friday.

Morteza Delf-Zargani’s father says the police started shooting at their car in the city of Shushtar without even a single warning and based on a false report of car theft.

According to the victim’s uncle, “when they saw the police car behind them, they intended to stop, but without any warning the police opened fire and Morteza died on the spot.”

The police claim they received reports about a car theft that fit the description of the family’s vehicle, and the officers ordered the suspect to pull over, but the driver did not pay attention to the warning and sped away.

In March, a two-year-old child was killed after Iranian special forces opened fire at the car carrying him and his family in the central city of Esfahan (Isfahan).

Morteza's case is also reminiscent of Kian Pirfalak, a 10-year-old boy who was killed by the Islamic Republic's security forces when they started shooting at his father's car during the 2022 protests.

Ironically, Morteza's death coincided with Kian's birthday anniversary.

Many innocent bystanders were killed by security forces during months of protests in 2022 and 2023. More than 500 people were shot or killed by security forces using deadly force.

Kian and his family were targeted by plainclothesmen during a night of protests in Izeh. Kian’s father was also paralyzed because of serious injuries he sustained during the attack. The government claimed “terrorists” had fired at the car, but Kian has become a public symbol of the regime’s brutality.