A shocking incident happened in Iran. A governor was slapped by residents on stage while delivering a speech.

This happened over the weekend in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran. Zeinolabedin Khorram, who recently served as governor, was delivering a speech at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in the northeastern city of Tabriz when the incident occurred.

According to CNN International, this incident happened quickly. Suddenly, a man went up on stage to approach her and slap her.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency identified the perpetrator as Ayoub Alizadeh, a member of the country's armed forces. In an interview with state television IRIB, Khorram said he did not know the perpetrators.

The motive for the attack itself is unclear. But Khorram said the perpetrator slapped him related to vaccinations received by the perpetrators.

"The perpetrator told police after he was arrested that he slapped her because he was upset that a man had vaccinated his wife at the Covid-19 vaccine clinic, rather than a woman," the new governor reported.

Alizadeh, a representative of Maragheh, a city in East Azerbaijan province, said. He said the incident was not political.

"Of course, this person's motives are personal and have nothing to do with the appointment of the governor or even his words."

Meanwhile, a video posted by Fars News Agency showed Ayoub calmly walking towards Khorram, slapping him in the face and then pushing him. The security guard is then seen running towards the offender and pulling him off the stage.

This is rare in Iran given the strict security protocols. It was also reported that the event was attended by the Interior Minister, representatives from Ayatollah Khamenei's office and other state officials.