Fatemeh Ghasemi, the only survivor of the Abadan Metropol incident

According to Reuters, coverage of the incident by Iranian state media mainly comprised “religious mourning and funeral processions.” The governor of Abadan spoke on state television to caution people to only follow official media coverage and avoid “rumours” discussed on social media. According to unverified internet videos, an emissary sent by Khamenei to the site of the collapse on 30 May was confronted by demonstrators, leading to clashes with riot police. In a televised address on 4 June, Khamenei accused “enemies” of of causing unrest in order to overthrow the state. He also accused the United States and its allies of conducting a “psychological war” against Iran, after the countries had accused Iran of piracy for its seizure of two Greek oil tankers. The United States had seized Iranian oil from a Greek tanker earlier on 27 May.

August 13, 2022 | 9:03 pm