On Sunday, two days ahead of the annual Fire Festival in Iran, the mullahs’ Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in response to a made-up and ridiculous question said that Charshanbe Souri (Fire Festival) “has no basis in Sharia (Islamic religious law) and causes a lot of harm and corruption, therefore, it must be avoided."
The New York Times qouted a witness saying: "The authorities forced stores and shopping malls in Tehran to close in the afternoon and banned motorcycles in the city. Thousands of pro-government forces were stationed on major streets. Municipal garbage containers were collected to prevent their being used to make bonfires."
"And neighborhood police officers went door to door warning residents that large celebrations were banned," the report said.
"However, many neighborhoods 'rocked' with bonfires and music later in the evening, witnesses said. The celebrations were scattered around Tehran but took place in almost all of the city’s neighborhoods. Firecrackers echoed across the city, witnesses said, despite police efforts over the past few weeks to confiscate them," the report added.