TEHRAN – Iran’s interior minister on Monday said foreign forces tried to use an unfortunate incident to create chaos in the country, but to no avail. 

Ahmad Vahidi made the remarks during a press conference on the sidelines of a meeting with provincial governors. 

"The enemies and those who do not want peace of mind for the people of Iran, especially the ones that tried to create chaos in the country, were defeated by our people,” he said, adding that enemies try to take advantage of any incident or event to spark a furor in the county and stoke public anger. 

"Our nation is accustomed to enemies telling lies and making up stories to cover up their failures,” the official stated, raising questions about foreign media reports that instead of showing sympathy for Armita’s family, tried to provoke their anger. 

“Those who do not value the life of this young lady or her parents attempted to turn it into a disturbance, which they failed at, and their lies have brought great disgrace upon them,” added the minister. 

Armita Geravand, a 16-year-old high school student, made the headlines last week after according to her own parents, lost consciousness at a metro cabin and hit her head on a metal. Videos released by the IRNA news agency show Armita getting dragged out of the train a few seconds after entering it. The friends accompanying her at the time of the incident have also confirmed her parents’ narrative. 

Despite Armita’s case seeming to be an accident, London and Washington-based media outlets began unsustainable speculations claiming that the young girl lost consciousness after a physical confrontation with police inside the metro cabin. Foreign media has not offered a single piece of evidence for its accusations. 

MHA/PA