Iran’s President Raisi promised a ‘extreme response’ following the Shiraz shrine assault, in an obvious try to hyperlink it to ongoing anti-government protests.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has mentioned that “riots” pave the way in which for “terror” assaults, a day after a lethal assault on a shrine within the southern metropolis of Shiraz was claimed by ISIL (ISIS).
“The intention of the enemy is to disrupt the nation’s progress, after which these riots pave the bottom for terrorist acts,” he mentioned in televised remarks on Thursday, in an obvious try to hyperlink the shrine assault to ongoing anti-government protests within the nation.
At the very least 15 folks have been killed on Wednesday in an assault on an vital Shia Muslim shrine in Shiraz, in keeping with official media.
State tv mentioned it was carried out by an armed attacker throughout night prayers on the Shah Cheragh shrine, and left at the very least 19 folks wounded.
The assailant was a person “in his 30s” who had been detained by the safety forces, officers mentioned.
ISIL, which as soon as managed huge swaths of territory throughout Syria and Iraq, has claimed earlier violence in Iran, together with lethal twin assaults in 2017 that focused parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The commander of the nation’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mentioned Iran will retaliate.
“We firmly declare: The fireplace of revenge of the folks of Iran will lastly meet up with them and punish them for his or her shameful deeds,” Hossein Salami was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim information company on Wednesday.
Raisi had additionally promised “a extreme response”, and condemned “the enemies of Iran” who try to “divide the united ranks of the nation… via violence and terror”.
The sentiment was shared by Supreme Chief Ayatollah Khamenei, who has known as for unity after the shrine assault, saying these behind it “will certainly be punished”, state tv reported.
“All of us have an obligation to cope with the enemy and its traitorous or ignorant brokers. Safety our bodies, the judiciary, activists within the discipline of thought … and the folks should be united towards …disregard for folks’s lives, safety, and sanctities,” Khamenei mentioned in an announcement learn on state TV.
Unrest in Iran
The shrine assault got here as 1000’s of individuals paid tribute to Mahsa Amini, 40 days after her demise in police custody.
Dozens of individuals, primarily protesters but additionally members of the safety forces, have been killed in the course of the unrest that was triggered by the 22-year-old’s demise on September 16 after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly violating the nation’s strict costume code for ladies.
A whole lot of individuals, together with girls, have been arrested.
Iran’s judiciary has charged greater than 1,000 folks arrested in reference to the protests.
At the very least 4 have been charged with an offence that may carry the demise penalty, whereas others have been accused of “performing towards the nation’s safety”, “propaganda” towards the federal government and “assaulting safety forces”.
Officers had mentioned that tons of of those that weren’t concerned within the “riots” had been launched.