Man shot trying to enter Iran presidency

Iranian security forces shot and wounded a man who tried to enter the president's office in central Tehran by force yesterday, local media reported.

"An individual wearing a shroud tried to push through the doors of the president's office and was warned by security guards," Tehran's deputy governor for security Mohsen Nasj-Hamedani told the Fars and Tasnim news agencies.

"The person was prevented from going further and was wounded by police gunshots," Nasj-Hamedani said, adding that authorities were trying to determine the individual's identity and motive.

Tasnim reported it had received phone calls from witnesses saying the man was carrying a machete.

Some ultra-conservative activists in Iran wear shrouds during protests against the West or to denounce perceived insults to Islam, as a symbol of their determination to defend a cause to the death.

Police in the Iranian capital have arrested 29 people on Friday for their involvement in protests against the country's compulsory headscarf law.

Women across Iran have been removing their headscarves in public to protest Iran's strict Islamic dress code. Videos and photos shared on social media have shown demonstrators standing on utility boxes on street sidewalks, defiantly waving their hijabs.