After more than seven years of the last operation took place in Iran, Tehran suffered yesterday from two terror attacks occurred separately in place and synchronized in timing , described as the strongest in decades where six suicide bombers targeted a building of the Shura Council (parliament) and Khomeini’s mausoleum , south of the Iranian capital, and «Daesh» declared its responsibility for the two simultaneous attacks, which killed at least 12 people and injured 24 ones , in a video aired by the ISIS news agency “Amaq” . But according to special information obtained by Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies , this process was carried out by the Iranian Kurds from Orumiyeh “Azerbaijan” who are Salafi in orientation .
And the Iranian Ministry of Interior pointed out in a statement that «Two terrorist groups have carried out simultaneous attack targeting security and stability in the capital ». And it noted that «two people attacked at ten o’clock in the morning (local time), the shrine of Khomeini, and one of them blew himself up inside by the explosive charge after the exchange of fire with the guards of the shrine, while the second was killed who was carrying a bag containing 10 hand grenades and magazines of bullets ». The statement added that «at the same time another group attacked the building of Shura Council (Parliament), which is located in Bharstan Square in central Tehran». Eyewitnesses said the four attackers disguised by women’s attire and sneaked into the building from the main eastern door dedicated to the entry of the auditors and staff, and then clashed with guards, killing one and wounding four others.
The United States and many countries, including France, Russia and Qatar condemned attacks in Tehran, and the Kremlin said in a statement that the dual attack «highlights to the need for concerted efforts by States in the fight against terrorism, which means working in close form with Islamic countries». While the Iranian Revolutionary Guards accused Saudi Arabia of responsibility for the attacks and the Revolutionary Guards vowed to retaliate from the executers and supports of these attacks and at the same time, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubair rejected the accusation, saying: “there is no evidence on it.”
It worth noting Iran has not seen important bombings against strategic targets in Tehran since years, but the dual assault came on the Shura Council “parliament” and the tomb of Khomeini in the heart of the Iranian capital to raise several questions about the implications of the timing and targeted places. There is no doubt that the attacks have three dimensions, the first dimension is the timing where they have been taken place at a sensitive time, Gulf crisis on the level of relations after a visit of Trump to Saudi Arabia, accusing Tehran of terrorism, and the retreat of Daesh in Mosul and the control of the popular crowd on the border areas with Syria and the start of the process of the liberation of al-Riqqa from Daesh. The second dimension is the symbolism of targeting the tomb of Khomeini and what it represents of religious and revolutionary symbolism and the Shura Council “Parliament” and what it represents of a sovereign symbolism .The third dimension: Daesh immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks without providing any evidence to those who committed them, as it ‘s common to publish the tapes of “video” and photos of the so-called soldiers of the Caliphate but it did not provide it till now , in addition to the rush of the Revolutionary Guard and not the Iranian government to accuse Saudi Arabia and the United States considering them as they are masterminding for these attacks.
If we exclude the premise of what is promoted by social media that what is happening is a play carried out by the Iranian government itself, this is difficult to accept and believe it , if these two acts are truly terror attacks apparently carried out by Daesh , four theories are fallen , the first is that what happened constitutes a significant security breach that the officials in Iran bear this breakthrough; because hitting the heart of the institutions of revolutionary , sovereign and religious nature in the heart of the Iranian capital Tehran. The second theory is that Iran lost its immunity against this terrorism, which it boasted as evidence of the unity of internal row around the system of Vilayat- e Faqih. And it is an oasis of stability in a region teeming with conflicts and wars, and the third theory is the fall of the claim that foreign interventions through the Revolutionary Guards and its role in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon is to fight terrorists and extremist groups to prevent them from targeting the Iranian depth. The fourth theory , the accusation by Arab states and Iran’s regional and international opponents that Daesh is a creature of Iranian intelligence and other allied countries, this theory fell and it is no longer to speak of it, or accuse Iran, claiming that Daesh hit the surrounding areas and excluded Iran, but now Iran presents itself as a victim of Daesh and it will take further actions in the fight against extremism and terrorism and extremist groups.
This matter is difficult to believe because Daesh since its appearance in Iraq in June 2014, it fought fierce battles with Iran’s allies in Iraq in different parts of it, most recently Mosul, however, Daesh did not target Iran’s depth. Even the most secret analyzes went that there is a hidden relationship linked Iran with Daesh also and linked it with al-Qaeda, so analysis went that Iran was a conduit for elements of Daesh to go to Syria and Iraq, killing thousands of innocent people. Here we wonder whether the phase of targeting of Iran by Daesh has begun.
In March of this year Daesh published a rare video recording in Persian, which warned that it will “open” Iran and bring it back, “a Sunni Muslim as it was before.” And the long tape, which takes more than 36 minutes was under the title “Persia between yesterday and today”, and included a violent attack on the “Rafdah state” and “al-Rafdi religion,” and the Shiites, who are fighting in Syria and Iraq. It can be concluded from the tape and assault that Daesh is looking for a new Foothold after its liquidation in Syria and Iraq, as ISIS see Iran a fertile environment for its presence there, especially if Daesh is able to employ the case of religious and national persecution experienced by non- Persian nationalities in Iran. Thereby offering the service in one way or another to Iran’s opponents in the regional and global system so Iran will be preoccupied with its internal situation and it is the beginning of the decline of influence in the Levant, especially in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. The question that arises in this context: Is the region on the verge of political compromises that oblige Iran to be preoccupied by the situation at home so as it will not be able to hamper them?
Iranian Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies