Friday prayer imam shot dead, becomes third killed in town since 1979

Unidentified gunmen killed a Friday prayer leader in a southern Iranian town, the third such assassination in the town since 1979, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The killing of cleric Abolhassan Ahmadi in the town of Kazeroon, Fars province, marked the third assassination of a Friday prayer leader in the town since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

No group has claimed responsibility for the murder, and the motive for the shooting was unclear.

The killing comes during a period of heightened tensions in Iran, with the country facing international isolation over its nuclear program and a crackdown on dissent.

In recent weeks, there have been a series of attacks on Iranian security forces and government officials.

Last month, a suicide bomber killed 27 members of the elite Revolutionary Guards in the southeastern city of Zahedan.

The attacks have raised concerns about the stability of the Iranian regime, which is under increasing pressure both at home and abroad.