Iran: Supreme Leader Vows Retaliation After Attack On Shia Shrine

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Facts

  • On Thursday, Iran's Supreme Leader vowed to retaliate against those he says threaten the country's security a day after at least 15 Shia pilgrims were killed in a massacre claimed by the Islamic State (IS). Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also called on Iranians to unite amid heightened tensions nationwide.1
  • This comes as the police commander of the Fars province stated that the lone attacker who opened fire against worshippers at the Shah Cheragh Shrine in Shiraz was arrested, with Fars News Agency reporting that he was identified as 23-year-old Hamed Badakhshan.2
  • Earlier reports accounted that the assault — which also wounded at least 40 people — had been carried out by three individuals, but they were later dismissed by officials who linked the assailant to Sunni Islamist groups.3
  • Though such attacks are rare in Iran, this is the second high-profile attack to be carried out this year in a Shia holy place. In April, two clerics were stabbed at the country's most revered site, the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.4
  • UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack and expressed his deep condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Iran, saying that such acts targeting religious sites are 'especially heinous' and that the perpetrators must be brought to justice.5
  • Wednesday also saw thousands of people commemorate the 40th day since the death of Mahsa Amini — a Kurdish woman who died in police custody after being detained for allegedly violating the hijab rules — by gathering in her hometown as Iranian security forces still face protests.6

Sources: 1Reuters, 2The Muslim News, 3France24, 4Guardian, 5VOA and 6Al Jazeera.

Narratives

  • Pro-Iran narrative, as provided by IRNA. The terror attack in Shiraz makes the sinister intentions of those promoting violence in Iran completely clear. Iran's enemies have drawn up a multi-layer scheme to promote insecurity in Tehran, but its national security will not be toyed with by terrorists or foreign meddlers who claim to defend human rights.
  • Anti-Iran narrative, as provided by ABC NEWS. The theocracy in Iran is now trying to deem legitimate protests 'riots' and arguing that they were a pretext for Wednesday's IS-claimed attack. There's no evidence linking extremist groups to the widespread, largely peaceful demonstrations that have been hit hard by security forces' brutal crackdown.