Dubai: Iran, which rarely was a target for a terrorist attacks in the past few decades, woke up on Wednesday with news of two “unusual” deadly attacks on the parliament and the tomb of the founder of the Islamic republic, both of which were claimed by Daesh.
Many analysts believe it is too early to comment on the attacks, its messages, and ramifications.
However, they say among the possible explanations is that it was a dose of karma for Iran, which is regularly accused by its neighbours of supporting terrorism and fomenting instability in the region.
Another explanation is that the attacks were self-inflicted by Iran to make the case to the world that it, too, was a victim of terrorism.
“I am surprised like everybody,” said Riad Kahwaji, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis INEGMA.
“Iran has never been targeted by Daesh inside or outside of its borders,” Kahwaji told Gulf News.
This is peculiar since Daesh is known for its hatred of Shiites.
Wednesday’s attacks coincided with an extremely tense situation in the Gulf region over Qatari policies which have been criticised as detrimental to the region’s security.
The timing, said Kahwaji, is “extremely unusual”.
The attacks on the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Rouhallah Al Khomeini, killed at least two people and injured 35 others, according to the state-sponsored Iranian Students’ News Agency. Attackers used Kalashnikovs and suicide vests in striking multiple locations.
Daesh posted a video claiming it was a footage from inside the parliament building after claiming responsibility for the attacks.
Press reports quoted Iranian security sources as saying the attacks were “a message from Saudi Arabia to Iran,” and it was meant to “teach Iran a lesson,” according to the press reports.
At the same time, Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani downplayed the attacks, describing them as a “minor”.
Iran’s reaction raised many eyebrows in the Arab world.
“I’m not typically a fan of conspiracy theories but Iran could have staged the attack itself to make the case globally that it is also a target of Daesh,” Ahmad Kamel Al Buhairi, a Cairo-based regional security expert at Al Ahram Strategic Studies Centre, told Gulf News.Saudi leadership has accused Iran of “spearheading global terrorism” and trying to control the region.
Another possible scenario is that, Iran a chief-sponsor of terrorism in the region, got a taste of its own medicine,analysts said.
Daesh has claimed responsibilities for a series of attacking Shiite targets in the Gulf region, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
“What happened today (Wednesday) sends a strong message from Daesh to Iran that Iran has become an ‘open field’ for terrorists attacks,” said Al Buhairi.
Nearly two months earlier, Iran announced arresting terrorist cells that were planning attacks during the Iranian presidential elections.
Other analysts, however, say there “are clandestine relations between Iran and extremist Sunni groups, such as Al Qaida and the Taliban.
“I believe there is some sort of a strategic alliance between the two to create a unified front against the Arab countries,” Kahwaji said.
