Senior Cleric Plays Down Tehran Attacks as Fireworks

Rasa - Tehran's provisional Friday Prayers Leader Hojjatoleslam Kazzem Seddiqi described the Wednesday's terrorist attacks in Tehran as firecrackers, and said that the incident proves preciseness of Iran's strategy.

News ID: 430217

Date: 09 June 2017 - 22:08

RNA - Addressing a large and fervent congregation of the people on Tehran University campus on Friday, Hojjatoleslam Seddiqi said, "One of the missions of the Zionist regime is conducting such terrorist acts which are insignificant."

The senior cleric underlined that the terrorist attacks are masterminded by the global arrogance, and said, "As late Imam Khomeini has said the US is a potential terrorist."

In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei described the twin terrorist attacks in Tehran as insignificant moves, saying that such incidents prove the country's strategy of resistance and war on terrorism was well-thought and insightful.

"The Iranian nation is moving ahead and the fumbling with firecrackers performed today will leave no impact on people's willpower," Ayatollah Khamenei said at a meeting with a group of students and representatives from the university student associations from across the nation in Tehran.

"Everyone should know that they are too little to be able to influence the willpower of the Iranian nation and the country's officials. And these incidents, of course, revealed if the Islamic Republic had not displayed resistance at the heart of all this conspiracy, we would’ve had much more trouble of this sort in the country. God willing, they will bite the dust," he added.

Four unknown male assailants fired several rounds at the guards protecting the parliament building in Tehran, killing 17 and wounding 52 others in the hallway on Wednesday morning.

According to initial reports, the assailants opened their way into the parliament's administrative building while shooting at the guards, killing at least two IRGC guards and three others, and wounding 52 civilians.

Also, several assailants raided the holy shrine of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, South of the capital Tehran on Wednesday morning.

The law enforcement and guards at the shrine said they have also defused another suicide vest at the scene.

ISIL's official website, Amaq, issued a statement claiming responsibility for both attacks.

Meantime, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon vowed to take revenge for the twin terrorist attacks that killed 17 people in Tehran this morning.

"The public opinion in the world, specially the Iranian nation sees this terrorist action that happened a week after the joint meeting of the US president with the heads of one of the reactionary regional states that has constantly been supporting Takfiri terrorists as to be very meaningful, and believes that ISIL's acknowledging the responsibility indicates their complicity in this wild move," the IRGC statement said.

The powerful military force further warned that it would not miss a single moment to avenge the incident, saying, "The IRGC has proved that it would not leave unanswered the shedding of innocent blood and it ensures the Iranian nation that it will not hesitate even for a moment to protect the country's national security and the lives of the dear people, as it killed all these terrorists with the help of the Law Enforcement Force today."

An hour later, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani in a message on Wednesday said the twin attacks in Tehran today were committed by the terrorists who have been hired by his country's enemies to strike at Tehran for their frequent losses in the region, ensuring that his nation would enhance the war on terrorism more resolutely.

847/940