Assassination of Senior Iranian Cleric at Bank Sparks Unrest

A senior Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Abbas Ali Soleimani, was shot and killed by an armed guard at a bank in northern Iran. The motive for the attack is unknown, and authorities have launched an investigation. The killing of Soleimani, who served on the Assembly of Experts overseeing Iran's supreme leader, is the most-senior clergyman to be killed during months of unrest in the country. Shiite clergy have long held an important role in Iran, but discontent has increased in recent years amid waves of nationwide protests over economic, political, and civil rights issues.