Six dead, hundreds injured in Iran's fire festival mishaps
Six people have died and 770 others injured in incidents related to Iran's traditional fire festival since mid-February, the country's emergency services said on Tuesday.
Six people have died and 770 others injured in incidents related to Iran's traditional fire festival since mid-February, the country's emergency services said on Tuesday.
"Since the start of Esfand (February 19), at least 770 people have been injured in these incidents, a 26% increase compared to last year," said Babak Yektaparast, spokesperson for Iran's Emergency Organization, in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB.
He added that 91 people remain hospitalized due to severe injuries, 57 have suffered amputations, 200 sustained eye injuries, and 285 suffered burns.
The Islamic Republic’s crackdown over the years has gradually turned the ancient festival of lighting bonfires before Nowruz, known as Chaharshanbeh Suri, into a night of youth defying authorities.
Despite its evolving nature, the festival remains a deeply rooted cultural event—one that continues to reflect both the resilience of tradition and the defiance of Iran’s youth.
“In an unprecedented move, we successfully disrupted the communication network of two Iranian companies that, among various terrorist activities, are responsible for supplying munitions to Houthis,” the group wrote on Telegram.
The attack, which the group says was timed to coincide with US military operations against the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis, severed the ships' connections to each other, their ports, and external communication channels.
“As part of this operation, we targeted the communication network of 116 ships belonging to two major Iranian companies sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury, the United Kingdom, and the European Union: 50 ships belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) and 66 ships belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL)."
According to the group, these companies facilitate the sale of Iranian oil at reduced prices, with China as a key buyer, while also allegedly supplying munitions to the Houthis in Yemen.
By disrupting ship communications, Lab Dookhtegan says it has significantly hindered operations, adding that full restoration of the affected systems could take weeks. "Ship personnel can no longer communicate with one another, and their connection to the ports and outside world has been severed," the statement read.
There is limited publicly available information on the specific communication systems used by Iranian shipping fleets. However, open-source data and industry analysis suggest that Iranian commercial and military vessels employ a combination of satellite, radio, and encrypted digital networks.
Some reports indicate that NITC's fleet relies on VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) satellite technology for offshore coordination. The attack's success suggests that vulnerabilities may exist in these systems, despite previous efforts to safeguard them.
Lab Dookhtegan, known for previous cyber activities against Iran’s military and intelligence operations, framed the attack as part of a broader strategy to weaken Iranian-backed forces in the region.
Iranian authorities have yet to comment on the attack. In past incidents, state media and officials have either denied cyber intrusions or attributed them to foreign intelligence services. If confirmed, this latest operation would mark one of the most significant cyber disruptions targeting Iran’s maritime sector.
With global attention focused on Iran's regional activities and US military strikes against the Houthis, the implications of the attack extend beyond immediate logistical disruptions. If sustained, communication failures could affect oil exports, insurance risks, and maritime security assessments for Iranian-flagged vessels navigating international waters.
The full extent of the damage remains unclear, but Lab Dookhtegan has indicated that this is only the "tip of the iceberg," suggesting that further operations may follow.
The session, held during the UN Human Rights Council meeting, included discussions on minority rights, state repression, and accountability.
A panel hosted by the Baha’i International Community, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, and the Impact Iran coalition examined the systematic targeting of Baha’is. The event featured Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, alongside prominent rights advocates.
"The interviews with 56 Baha'is with direct experience of persecution offer powerful firsthand accounts that cannot be ignored," Sato said. "The report argues that the Baha'i people of Iran have long been subjected to a systematic process of othering by the state."
The 1979 constitution of the Islamic Republic recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has on several occasions called the Baha'i faith a cult and in a religious fatwa in 2018 forbade contact, including business dealings, with followers of the faith.
Baha'is, who number around 300,000 in Iran, say their rights are systematically violated and they are often harassed, forced to leave their homes and businesses, and are deprived of government jobs and university education.
"Bahai women face intersectional discrimination, persecuted both as women and as a member of a religious minority," Sato said. She cited reports of ten Baha’i women in Isfahan being sentenced to a combined 90 years in prison and stripped of assets.
Speaking at the event, Roya Boroumand, director of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, addressed broader societal changes.
"The Iranians are secularizing, their distancing themselves from Islam, from religion altogether, or they are converting to Zoroastrianism or Baha’ism or Christianity," she said. "For the theocracy, losing its Muslims is a disaster."
The day concluded with a screening of a documentary presented by rights group Justice for Iran, highlighting the courage of protesters and whistleblowers who exposed atrocities during the November 2019 protests.
It heard testimonies from witnesses, victims, and experts on the Iranian government’s violent crackdown, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1500 protestors and mass arrests.
Azadeh Afsahi, a psychotherapist and human rights advocate, spoke about the dangers of dehumanization. "During the Rwanda genocide, Tutsis were called cockroaches. Under Nazi Germany, Jews were called rats. It happened before and it's happening now," she said. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has used otherization to drive its agenda of violence."
As international attention remains on Iran’s human rights record, rights groups continue to document abuses and call for accountability. "Despite these challenges, the Baha'i community demonstrates remarkable resilience," Sato said.