According to two sources familiar with the intelligence, communications intercepts collected by the United States have confirmed that the Afghanistan-based branch of Islamic State (ISIS) was responsible for twin bombings in Iran, resulting in the deaths of nearly 100 people. One source described the intelligence as clear-cut and indisputable.
An anonymous source revealed that the intelligence includes communication intercepts, but no additional information was given. The interception collection has not been reported before. The recent bombings in Iran, the most deadly since the 1979 revolution, have increased tensions in the region due to conflicts in Gaza and attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi group, which is aligned with Tehran.
On Thursday, ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombings in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman. The militant group stated that two operatives wearing explosive suicide belts staged the attack during a memorial service for Qassem Soleimani, a senior military commander who was assassinated in Iraq by a U. S. drone strike in 2020.
It is important to note that while ISIS did not explicitly mention its Afghanistan-based affiliate, known as ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), as responsible for the bombings, it is widely believed to be the group behind the attack.
“The U. S. has received reliable intelligence that indicates ISIS-K was responsible for the attack,” stated the first source. The Central Intelligence Agency chose not to provide any comments on the matter.
Iran announced on Friday that its security forces had apprehended 11 individuals suspected of being involved in the attack and had confiscated explosive devices and vests. Despite Taliban efforts to suppress ISIS-K and force some members to flee to neighboring countries, U. S. officials claim that the affiliate remains dedicated to planning foreign operations.
