On March 9, conservative Iranian member of parliament Ali Motahari arrived in the city of Shiraz to give a speech at an event organized by Shiraz University reformist student association. However, on the road from the airport to speak to the university his car was attacked by plainclothesmen on motorcycles. The windows of the taxi were broken and Motahari suffered minor wounds above his eye.

Motahari, who said he felt the attackers "had come with the intent to kill or mutilate," took refuge with the taxi driver inside a police station for more than three hours before the assailants dispersed. Part of the attack was even caught on video.

There have been no arrests yet but attacks such as this are often blamed on rogue elements within the security and intelligence establishment. Some media, however, believe that these attacks are in fact related to the 2016 parliamentary elections.

While Motahari is technically a conservative political figure, especially on cultural policies, his vocal and relentless support for ending the house arrests of the 2009 reformist presidential candidates has endeared him to Reformist and moderate politicians. This support has also attracted the wrath of hard-liners who continue to insist that the 2009 postelection protests were a “sedition” aimed at overthrowing the system.