Hardliners dominating Iran’s ruling circles are eager to fend off suspicions that their own vigilantes were behind mass poisonings of schoolgirls in recent months.

A lawmaker claimed this week that “many of the hundreds” responsible for schoolgirl poisonings were affiliated with former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and were arrested on “direct orders” of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 

Using the term “Deviant Current” to describe the political affiliation of those responsible for the poisoning of thousands of schoolgirls across Iran, Morteza Mahmoudvand said hundreds have been arrested and being interrogated. 

“We saw that the incidents of poisoning subsided after an order [by Khamenei] and parliament’s investigations,” Mahmoudvand told the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA). 

The poisonings started in the religious city of Qom in central Iran November 30, spread throughout the country, and continued until the end of April, sending hundreds of students to hospitals and at least one case of death was reported.

Many ordinary Iranians have been suspicious that hardliners, at the core of the regime, or religious extremists protected by the regime were behind the chemical attacks as a revenge against the active role of young girls in anti-regime protests. Many on social media called the attacks “state terrorism”. 

In a statement on April 28, the intelligence ministry denied any indication that poisonous substances had caused the illness of students and said samples taken from the scene of the incidents examined by “the most reliable laboratories” in the country had not yielded any suspicious substances.

The ministry tried to minimize the serial attacks claiming students fell ill by stink bombs (stinkpots), pepper sprays and similar substances used by some students to disrupt classes. 

“Officials have not confirmed Mahmoudvand’s allegations against the Ahmadinejad group yet, but it would be conceivable that the regime is aiming to kill two birds with one stone if they confirm these allegations,” a political analyst in Iran who requested anonymity told Iran International. “This will clear the regime itself of any responsibility and will also discredit the Ahmadinejad group in the eyes of some of its supporters.” 

A dissident group of experts based overseas which has been investigating the poisonings has said that preliminary results of tests done on clothing of poisoned schoolgirls suggests the use of a nerve agent. Such agents, many say, could only be available to regime insiders. 

Some of the victims reported falling ill after an aroma, resembling tangerines, or a putrid stench filled the air in their classrooms. Hundreds had to be hospitalized with some staying in hospital for up to a week due to the severity of their symptoms including palpitation, headache, nausea, cough, sore throat, or temporary paralysis and weakness but most others were released within hours. In some cases, symptoms lasted for weeks.

Mahmoudvand also told ILNA that the “Deviant Current grouplet had infiltrated everywhere”, presumably meaning the government and intelligence organizations. 

However, Ahmadinejad has maintained public silence for nearly a year and there has been no sign of any pro-Ahmadinejad group engaging in political activities.

Since a public standoff between Ahmadinejad, then president, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in May 2011, officials of the Islamic Republic have used the term “Deviant Current” to describe Ahmadinejad and his inner circle including his vice president and confidante Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei. 

The conflict arose when Ahmadinejad fired Khamenei’s favored intelligence minister Heydar Moslehi who took his orders from the Leader. 

Ahmadinejad even stayed home and refused to carry out his presidential duties for eleven days when Khamenei insisted that he reinstate Moslehi. 

He eventually surrendered to Khamenei’s will, but the autocrat known for his vengefulness never forgave Ahmadinejad whose views he had said were the closest to his own, backing him before the 2009 presidential elections. 

Khamenei’s devotees, accordingly, turned against Ahmadinejad who they had ardently supported throughout the years. Ahmadinejad was not allowed to run for presidency in 2017 and again in 2021, clearly on Khamenei’s orders.