TEHRAN: A group of men dressed like a terrorists stormed a shopping centre in Iran’s capital Tehran with fake guns, bullets and swords, with one even riding a horse, causing panic and fear among the visitors.
Footage posted to social media showed the men wearing the clothes radical terrorists would normally wear, and shouting slogans.
Screams could be heard in the background, and there are reports people were running out of the building.
But the men were actually actors, who appeared on behalf of Iranian filmmaker Ebrahim Hatamikia, to promote his upcoming feature Damascus Time.
In this footage, people are shouting and complaining that “what if a woman or a child is shocked by your presence here? Who is responsible for such a stupid move? Who the hell did tell you to dress up like this?” pic.twitter.com/BN4dYeSFa4
— Reza Khaasteh (@Khaaasteh) May 8, 2018
The footage showed some bystanders clearly knew it was a stitch-up, smiling at the actors while filming on their phones.
But the stunt has been slammed on social media, with many saying it was in poor taste considering the threat posed by Islamic State.
Two terror attacks were carried out in Tehran only a year ago, targeting the Iranian Parliament building and the Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini. The incidents left 17 civilians dead and 43 wounded.
Hatamikia later said he was unaware of the stunt.
“I thought a person with a red beard (like ISIS militants) is going to stand outside the mall and let the fans take selfies with him. I didn’t know there would be horses, screams, and crowds inside the mall,” he said, according to Iran Front Page.
“The show was definitely beneath the dignity of my film,” he added.
