Iranian governor slapped during inauguration ceremony

Attacker was upset his wife's Covid-19 vaccination was administered by a man

Watch: Iranian governor slapped during speech

Watch: Iranian governor slapped during speech
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In a bizarre moment caught on camera, the new governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province was assaulted by a member of the audience.

Governor Abedin Khorram was giving his inauguration speech on Saturday morning when a man calmly walked on stage and slapped him.

In the video, Mr Khorram can be seen pausing for a moment before pushing the man who slapped him. The assailant also pushes the governor, but the fight is quickly stopped and the man is escorted from the stage.

Iranian state radio reported that the man who slapped the governor is a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of Iran's armed forces.

In an interview with state media, Mr Khorram said that the IRGC member slapped him because he was upset that his wife's Covid-19 vaccination was administered by a man.

Mr Khorram himself was the IRGC commander in the province before his appointment by President Ebrahim Raisi earlier this week as the governor of the region.

Updated: October 24, 2021, 7:47 AM