Zahedan (Balochi and , ) is a city and capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 587,730. The city was the site of a deadly crackdown in October 2022, with dozens citizens killed by pro-governmental forces. Over 90 people were killed. Two senior police officials were fired in the aftermath of the crackdown. On 28 October, there were protests in Zahedan and security forces fired on protestors, killing 1 and injuring 14. On 3 November 2022, the Shi'i cleric and Khamenei loyalist Sajjad Shahraki was assassinated in Zahedan. The next day, there were widespread protests in the city and Revolutionary Guards and other armed forces fired on protestors. Name The original name of the city was Duzzap (Persian: Duzdab, meaning "Water Stolen"), which it had received due to the abrupt floods into the valley. The name was later changed to Zahedan (Persian for "hermits") during Reza Shah's visit in 1929. History Mention of Zahedan first appears in sources in August 1849. However, the city first truly started to grow during the early 20th-century. During World War I it became the westernmost terminal of the Zahedan railway station, which reached as far as Quetta in the northern part of what was then British Baluchistan. Geography Zahedan is connected by rail to nearby Pakistan and is near to Afghanistan. It is about south of the tripoint of the three countries and at an altitude of above sea level and from the Iranian capital of Tehran. Climate Zahedan has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is very low, and mostly falls in winter. Demographics Although the surrounding area has many ancient sites, Zahedan itself developed mainly in the 20th century. Before being chosen as the provincial administrative center in the 1930s, Zahedan was a small village. Its population reached 17,500 by 1956 and increased more than fivefold to 93,000 by 1976. After 1980, large numbers of refugees fleeing the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan helped triple the population of Zahedan to more than 281,000 by 1986, a number which has since doubled again. Education Zahedan is the home of the Islamic Azad University of Zahedan, the Zahedan University of Medical Sciences and the University of Sistan and Baluchestan. Besides, the largest Sunni seminary, Darululoom Zahedan, is located in Zahedan. There are some other religious Sunni schools in the