A former mayor of Tehran who once served as one of Iran’s vice presidents has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife, after she was found dead in her bathtub Tuesday afternoon, shot several times.

The former mayor, Mohammad Ali Najafi, 67, was arrested on Tuesday and handed over to prosecutors Wednesday morning, according to the state-run news outlet IRNA.

Citing an Iranian prosecutor, the news outlet reported that Mr. Najafi had turned himself over to the police and had confessed to shooting his second wife, Mitra Ostad, 35.

Gun crime is rare in Iran, and Mr. Najafi’s prominent political status has made the crime all the more shocking, raising questions about how the country’s news media covers domestic violence.