Iran under attack: 'ISIS' claims responsibility

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Wed, 07 Jun 2017 11:55 UTC

© REUTERS/ Dado Ruvic

Iranian officials are monitoring the situations closely.

At least two people have died and many more injured after gunmen randomly opened fire inside the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) on Wednesday morning. This was followed by a suicide attack by one of the terrorists inside the Iranian Parliament building.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack. If the claim is true it would make today's atrocity the first ISIS attack inside Iran.

According to initial reports from Press TV, at least four gunmen opened fire on security guards at the Parliament building.

Press TV now reports that one of the men, now described by Iranian sources as terrorists, blew himself up on the fourth floor of the Iranian Parliament building.

Iran's Press TV reports,

"Tehran MP Elias Hazrati has said that the assailants were armed with two Kalashnikovs and a handgun".

A simultaneous attack took place in Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mausoleum, dedicated to the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran wherein several men opened fire. This attack comes as Iran celebrates the 3 June 1989 anniversary of Imam Khomeini's death.

One of the terrorists at the Mausoleum is said to have blown himself up using a suicide belt.

The choice of targets indicate a clear political motive, designed to strike at the heart of the Iranian Revolution.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, though this claim must be thoroughly examined as ISIS have never been able to penetrate Iran's secure borders before.

Previous attacks in Iran have been carried out by the far-left terrorist group Mojahedin-e Khalq.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the group enjoyed support from Iraq and had an on and off relationship with the United States.

In 2009, the group was banned in Iraq and have since located to NATO member state Albania where they have linked up with local terrorist factions.

Other targeted attacks and assassinations in Iran have been blamed on Israel's secret intelligence service, Mossad,including a string of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists which took place between 2010 and 2012.

No one has yet to claim responsibility to today's attacks.

All of these happens as now Saudi Arabia steps up its threats against Qatar over allegedly warming relations with Iran.

Comment: Al Jazeera reports more on these deadly attacks:

Gunmen and suicide bombers have attacked Iran's parliament in central Tehran and the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini in south of the city, killing at least 12 people.

Four armed assailants attacked parliament office buildings on Wednesday morning, while the shrine of revolutionary founder Ruhollah Khomeini was struck by a suicide bomber, state media reported.

One of the attackers on Iran's parliament complex blew himself up on the fourth floor, while under siege by security forces, state broadcaster IRIB reported.

Lawmaker Elias Hazrati told state television that three attackers, one with a pistol and two with AK-47 assault rifles, raided office buildings at the parliament complex.

At least 39 people were wounded in the attacks, officials said.

ISNA news agency quoted a member of the parliament as saying that all the parliament doors were shut and access to the parliament complex was sealed by police.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said the siege at parliament was over and that four attackers have been killed.