Iranian authorities hint U.S., Saudi Arabia “blameworthy” for attacks in Tehran

TEHRAN, June 9 (Xinhua) — Top Iranian political leaders have gestured the United States and Saudi Arabia of being behind the recent twin deadly attacks in the capital Tehran.

On Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that recent terrorist attacks in Iran will result in hatred towards the United States and Saudi Arabia.

The terrorist acts which led to the “martyrdom and injury” of the Iranians is “a clear sign of enmity” of the mercenaries of global arrogance against the Iranian nation, Khamenei said in a condolence message to the nation over Wednesday’s twin deadly attacks by the Islamic State (IS) militants in Tehran.

“The definite result of these (terrorist) acts will lead to an increase in the hatred towards the U.S. governments and its regional elements like Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Such crimes will not shatter the will of the Iranians, and the nation will move ahead “unified and even with stronger determination,” Khamenei stressed.

On Friday, Iranians participated in the mourning ceremony of the 17 people who were killed in the twin attacks against Iran’s Majlis (parliament) and the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran.

On the sidelines of the ceremony, Iran’s Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani described the U.S. Army and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as the “main headquarters of terrorism in the region,” official IRNA news agency reported.

“The terrorist incidents in Iran, sponsored by the United States, made more transparent what is going on in the region,” Larijani said, adding that “the United States has allied itself with the regional Daesh (IS).”

He stressed that “Washington has also demonstrated that it is the international Daesh” and “fighting terrorism would be impossible without fighting the United States,” according to state IRIB TV.

The Iranian speaker also criticized the U.S. administration for its support to Saudi Arabia, saying that Washington has undermined democracy and human rights by an alliance with Riyadh.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and “risk falling victim to the evil they promote.”

In the meantime, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Wednesday implicitly pointed the finger of suspicion at Saudi Arabia for the terrorist attack in Tehran.

“Terror-sponsoring despots threaten to bring the fight to our homeland. Proxies attack what their masters despise most: the seat of democracy,” Zarif tweeted.

The remarks by Zarif referred to the comments made by Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, in May, who said Riyadh would bring “the battle” into Iran.

Also, just hours before the deadly attacks in Tehran, the Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir had claimed that Iran was the world’s leading supporter of terrorism and must be punished.

With Zarif’s tweet, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) vowed to retaliate terrorist attacks in the capital and accused Riyadh of being behind the attacks.

“This terrorist attack happened only a week after the meeting between the U.S. president (Donald Trump) and the (Saudi) backward leaders who support terrorists. The fact that Islamic State has claimed responsibility proves that they were involved in the brutal attack,” an IRGC statement said.

Al-Jubeir said he did not know who was responsible for the attacks and said there was no evidence Saudi extremists were involved.

Militant attacks are rare in Tehran and other major cities although three Sunni militant groups, including Jaish Al-Adl and Jundallah in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, and the Kurdish PJAK in western and northwestern Iran have been waging deadly attacks for almost a decade.

On Friday, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry announced that it has arrested some people linked to the recent terrorist attacks and has identified a number of terrorists’ hideout in the northwest of Iran and has seized sizable amount of ammunition.

It also said that the Islamic republic is after hunting the commandment centers of the terrorist beyond the borders.

Last year, Iranian authorities said they foiled a plot by Sunni militants to bomb targets in Tehran and other cities during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.