Iran has appointed Mansour Bijar as the governor of Sistan-Baluchistan, marking the first time a member of the Baluch minority has held this position. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani announced the appointment following a cabinet meeting. Bijar, 50, comes from the Baluch community, which has faced longstanding socio-economic challenges in this southeastern province.
His appointment comes in the wake of a recent attack in Sistan-Baluchistan that resulted in the deaths of at least 10 police officers, an incident claimed by the jihadist group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice). The region, which shares borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan, has a history of violence, including cross-border attacks by separatist and extremist groups, as well as frequent clashes between security forces and armed militants.
Jaish al-Adl, formed in 2012 by Baluch separatists, is designated as a “terrorist organization” by both Iran and the United States, contributing to the ongoing instability in the area. The appointment of Bijar is seen as a potential move by the Iranian government to address some of the underlying issues in Sistan-Baluchistan, which is one of the country’s most impoverished provinces.
