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The Islamic State has struck at Iran and its allies for years but always from afar, in places such as Iraq against Tehran-backed militias and in Syria battling government troops aided by Iranian forces.

That appeared to change Wednesday when bloodshed came to Tehran. In a few chaotic hours, Iran endured the kind of deadly rampages so often claimed by the Islamic State elsewhere.

The twin attacks, the first major assaults in Iran claimed by the Islamic State, targeted the heart of Irans political identity and the notion that militants were no match for the security forces zealously guarding Tehran.

At least 12 people were reported killed and 42 wounded in the assaults in the parliament building and outside the tomb of the leader of the nations Islamic revolution. Security forces eventually killed all four assailants, state media reported. Hours later, Tehrans police chief said five suspects had been detained and were being interrogated.

While the attacks showed that the United States and Iran have a shared enemy, they appeared unlikely to reset U.S.-led efforts against the Islamic State or bring Iran more directly into the fight especially since the Trump administration has embraced Irans main regional foe, Saudi Arabia, as a bulwark in fighting Islamist militants and constraining Irans regional influence.

In a White House statement, President Trump said Wednesday: We grieve and pray for the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Iran, and for the Iranian people, who are going through such challenging times. We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.

The Washington-based National Iranian American Council promptly rebuked what it called Trumps heartless message, saying that presidents who cannot genuinely recognize victims of terrorism are incapable of leading the fight against terror.

Irans powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps took a thinly veiled jab at Saudi Arabia as a source of militant ideology, saying it was meaningful that the attacks occurred less than three weeks after Trump visited Riyadh and asserted strong U.S. support for the Saudis and their allies.

The Revolutionary Guard statement added that the spilled blood of the innocent will not remain unavenged.

[As ISIS loses ground in Syria, a scramble between U.S. and Iran for control]

Iran is predominantly Shiite Muslim and is at odds with Sunni extremist groups such as al- Qaeda and the Islamic State, which view Shiites as heretics and have attacked Shiite targets across the region.

While it is unclear what direct measures Iran could take against the Islamic State, the fallout is certain to deepen regional tensions at a difficult time. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and others have pledged to try to heal an unprecedented diplomatic break in which Saudi Arabia and its allies have severed ties with Qatar, a key U.S. military partner in the Persian Gulf.

The Saudis and their allies accuse Qatar of supporting Islamist militants and oppose its outreach to Iran.

For the Islamic State, striking directly at Iran appears to be part of a wider attempt to stir regional discord.

An attack inside Iran was absolutely the realization of a long-term ideological goal for the Islamic State, said Charlie Winter, a senior research fellow at the International Center for the Study of Radicalization at Kings College in London.

Ideologically, the implications are huge, he said. Attacking Iran is kind of like attacking the U.S. or Israel.

The near-simultaneous attacks coming in the middle of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan also appeared calculated to elicit maximum shock among Iranians.

The parliament is widely respected as a voice on domestic policies even though Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has the final word on most international and security issues. The shrine of Khameneis predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, is a centerpiece of homage to the 1979 Islamic revolution, which overthrew Irans Western-allied monarchy.

[Trump turned his Saudi trip into a rally against Iranian influence]

The timing, meanwhile, could have been intended to boost the Islamic States stature among backers as it faces a two-pronged assault against its key urban strongholds: Mosul in northern Iraq and Raqqa in Syria. An expanded offensive by U.S.-backed forces against Raqqa, the Islamic States de facto capital, began Tuesday.

It is indeed a boost to ISIS morale, especially given that its the first successful attack in Iran, said Dina Esfandiary, who studies global security issues at the Center for Science and Security Studies at Kings College. The Islamic State is also known as ISIS.

Iranian state TV quoted Khamenei as dismissing the attacks as mere fireworks that would not weaken Irans fight against groups such as the Islamic State.

The Islamic States Amaq News Agency claimed that the group carried out the attacks. The Islamic State, however, is often quick to take ownership of spectacular assaults without providing evidence.

But the news agency also circulated a 24-second video that purported to show a fighter walking near a body during the attack on the parliament.

Oh, Sunni people in Iran, dont you feel the pain from those shackles that are tied around your wrists and ankles? one militant said in the video, calling on Sunnis to wage battle against Shiites in their dens and gatherings in Tehran and other Iranian cities.

The Islamic State also began distributing its online magazine Rumiyah in Persian late last month.

Iran views its parliament, or Majlis, as a symbol of participatory government in contrast with its main regional rivals, including Saudi Arabia and allied sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf. Last month, Irans president, Hassan Rouhani, won reelection in a race against hard-line challengers.

[Irans election is over, but bigger issues of leadership loom]

The parliament has very specific meaning for Iran after the recent election. Its democracy was attacked, said Marc Martinez, a senior analyst and Iran expert at the Delma Institute, a political consultancy in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The expansive complex around Khomeinis tomb is a spiritual and political testament to the Islamic revolution. The huge courtyard and buildings, including blue-tiled domes that tower over the mausoleum, are particularly filled with visitors during Ramadan, which began two weeks ago.

Attacks of this kind are rare in Irans capital, where security forces are deployed at prominent sites. The Revolutionary Guard Corps also maintains a vast network of informants and allies through a volunteer paramilitary force called the Basij.

The parliament building is in the center of the city, and Khomeinis tomb complex is about 12 miles to the south.

Iran has suffered terrorist attacks in the past but rarely in cities or the capital. Separatist groups and Sunni extremists have carried out bombings in the border region near Pakistan, including a suicide attack in 2010 that killed 39.

Paul Schemm in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Loveday Morris in Irbil, Iraq; and William Branigin and Carol Morello in Washington contributed to this report.

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New York Times

Terrorist Attacks Pour Gas on Saudi-Iranian Rivalry and Gulf Tensions New York Times The attacks in Tehran threatened to escalate the broader regional conflict between the two heavyweight powers, Iran and Saudi Arabia, at a time when the Western-allied gulf bloc is divided against itself. And Saudi Arabia, under the two-year-old reign ... Trump's pressure on Iran may be stoking sectarian tensions in MideastWashington Post Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf: A tangled web of politics and terrorCNN Qatar Standoff Tests China's Neutrality on Saudi-Iran FeudBloomberg Aljazeera.com -Reuters -NBCNews.com all 6,492 news articles »

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Terrorist Attacks Pour Gas on Saudi-Iranian Rivalry and Gulf Tensions - New York Times

In the wake of an alleged ISIS terrorist attack on the Iranian parliament, the U.S. Senate is marking the tragedy with twin resolutions: one to express condolences, the second to move forward on a bill to hit the country with new sanctions.

By a vote of 92-7, the Senate opened debate on the sanctions resolution Wednesday. But the resolution expressing condolences is still being worked on, one senator said.

On a day when Iran has been attacked by ISIS, by terrorism, now is not the time to go forward with legislation calling for sanctions against Iran, Vermonts Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said on the floor before the Senate did just that. Let us be aware and cognizant that earlier today the people of Iran suffered a horrific terror attack in their capital, Tehran.

The vote also came in the face of warnings from former Secretary of State John Kerry that a new sanctions bill could imperil the nuclear deal.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said that it was still time to move forward. After all, it could be a chance to hit Russia. I think we have an opportunity on the Iran sanctions bill to amend it to include strong Russia sanctions; Im determined that we get that done. Thats foremost in my mind, said Coons.

I appreciate the fact that when the United States was attacked on 9/11, Iran expressed concern and solidarity with us. I do think its important for us to express our condolences to the Iranian people for their being victims of an ISIS and I believe that resolution will be adopted today. It seems a bit of a mixed message to me to try and combine those two.

A number of Sanderss Democratic caucus colleagues, including Californias Diane Feinstein and Delawares Tom Carper, joined him in arguing that the bill should be delayed in light of the terrorist attack. On her way into the vote, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., told The Intercept she agreed with Sanders that it should be delayed, but didnt think it would be. She was correct, and cast her vote in favor.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune, a member of Republican leadership, disagreed. I hope not, he said of the possibility of a delay, his further thoughts being cut off by the closing of the door of an elevator taking him to vote on the measure.

Shortlybefore the vote to end debate on the bill,New Yorks Sen. Chuck Schumer who leads the Senate Democrats came out and argued forcefully in favor of the sanctions, showing no concern aboutimperiling the nuclear deal or the terrorist attack.

Democrats will vote to advance this bill to the floor because we support most of us support the bill, he assured the Senate.

Sixty votes are needed to achieve cloture and close debate; only seven senators opposed the cloture vote: Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand, Dick Durbin, Carper, Jeff Merkley, and Tom Udall as well as Republican Rand Paul and Sanders.

President Donald Trump added insult to injury when the White House released its own statement on the Iranian terror attack on Wednesday. We grieve and pray for the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Iran, and for the Iranian people, who are going through such challenging times, it read.

However, it then pivoted to blaming the victims. We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote, it concluded.

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., referred questions on the condolences resolution to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A spokesperson there didnt immediately reply to a request for Congress.

Top photo: Sen. Bernie Sanders arrives for a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 25, 2017.

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Bucking Bernie Sanders, Democrats Move Forward On Iran Sanctions After Terror Attack in Tehran - The Intercept

New York Times

Britain, James Comey, Iran: Your Thursday Briefing New York Times Prime Minister Theresa May called the snap election hoping for a landslide and a strong mandate to negotiate the country's departure from the European Union. But her campaign has proved uninspiring. She is still expected to win, but with her authority ... Trump condemns Iran attacks but says states who sponsor terrorism can fall victim to itLos Angeles Times all 5,398 news articles »

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Britain, James Comey, Iran: Your Thursday Briefing - New York Times

JUDY WOODRUFF: We return to the attacks in Iran, the implications and consequences, and the wider picture in a greatly unsettled region.

In a moment, William Brangham will speak with experts on those questions.

But, to begin, chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner reports on todays terror in Tehran that left 13 dead and more than 40 wounded.

MARGARET WARNER: It was mid-morning when the first shots echoed from the Iranian Parliament building. Gunmen, some reportedly dressed as women, stormed in with rifles and suicide vests. At least one blew himself up outside the Parliament chamber. Another ran back outside and began firing in the streets.

MOHAMMAD SHAHI, Shop Owner (through interpreter): When we were close to the Parliament in a taxi, there were more gunfire sounds. People were panicked and started running away and seeking shelter.

MARGARET WARNER: The resulting siege with police went on for hours. Near the same time, the shrine of Irans revolutionary founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, was hit.

Authorities say that, in the end, six attackers were killed and five arrested. The Islamic State group immediately claimed responsibility, the first time the Sunni extremist group has struck successfully inside Shiite Iran. The militants put out video of the assault while it was still under way.

One attacker says: Do you think we will go away? No. We will remain, God willing.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republics supreme leader, was defiant.

AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, Supreme Leader of Iran (through translator): The firecracker play that took place today will have no effect on the peoples will. However, these incidents proved that if the Islamic republic had not resisted at the epicenter of these seditions in Iraq and Syria, we would be dealing with many troubles caused by them inside the country now.

MARGARET WARNER: But Charlie Winter of the International Center for the Study of Radicalization at Kings College, London, says that, for ISIS, attacking Iran is like taking the crown jewel.

CHARLIE WINTER, International Center for the Study of Radicalization: Striking Iran like this is akin to striking the United States or Israel. I mean, this is really a huge symbolic victory for the Islamic State. In terms of its propaganda, I think the group will be talking about this moment for years to come.

MARGARET WARNER: This attack comes as ISIS is under pressure from Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq, as well as from the U.S.-backed coalition. The ISIS-controlled Iraqi city of Mosul has all but fallen to government forces, aided by the Shiite militias.

And, in Syria, U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters have opened a full-on assault to reclaim the Islamic States capital, Raqqa.

It also occurs amidst a spike in the tense rivalry between Iran and the Sunni Arab states led by Saudi Arabia. Last month, President Trump rallied Arab nations to oppose terror, and Iran especially. And, on Monday, the Saudis and others cut ties to Qatar, citing, in part, its ties to Iran.

Moreover, just hours before todays attack, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir Iran quote must be punished for its interference in the region.

After the attacks, Irans Revolutionary Guard accused the Saudis, saying: The fact that Islamic State has claimed responsibility proves that they, the Saudis, were involved.

Charlie Winter says this turn of events further complicates regional politics and the fight against ISIS.

CHARLIE WINTER: Regional politics are kind of balancing on a knife edge at the moment. The more actors there are involved in this war, the more confusing itll get, the more bogged down states around the world will get.

MARGARET WARNER: In a statement this afternoon, the White House voiced sympathy for the victims, but said states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.

For the PBS NewsHour, Im Margaret Warner.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: So what does this first ever ISIS attack inside actually Iran mean, and how might Tehran respond?

To help us with that, Im joined by two people with deep knowledge of Iran and its role in the region.

Randa Slim is director of the Track II Dialogues Initiative at the Middle East Institute. And Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow in the Middle East program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Welcome to you both.

Randa Slim, I would like to start with you.

I wonder if you could just help us give us your sense, your first reaction to this attack and, in particular, why you believe, perhaps, these two targets were chosen in Tehran.

RANDA SLIM, Middle East Institute: Well, they are important symbols for Iranian Islamic Republic.

And they especially the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, the attack outside it is something that is seen by the ISIS community, or the community that is pro-ISIS, as being an important symbol to attack because it symbolizes the heart and the founder of the Islamic Republic.

And so it is a first attack claimed by ISIS in Iran. They have been trying to do this attack for some time. And I think the fact that they have been able to succeed today will not diminish Iranian regime resolve to fight ISIS in Iraq, for example, although I have to say, in Syria, they are not devoting much resources to fighting ISIS, letting the Americans lead that fight, and instead fighting mostly devoting their resources to fight the Syrian opposition, the non-jihadi Syrian opposition.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Karim, what was you first reaction when you heard about this?

KARIM SADJADPOUR, Carnegie Endowment For International Peace: Well, Iran has been heavily invested in regional conflicts over the last six years.

As Randa mentioned, in Syria, they have poured billions of dollars. They have a thousand casualties, likewise in Iraq. They have trained Shia militias in Yemen. But they have been largely immune to the casualties in the Middle East. The Iranian people havent suffered the same way as peoples in the region have suffered.

So this was a major breach in Tehran. But I still think the fact that Iran is a country which is about 90 percent Shiite Muslim, the city of Tehran is probably over 95 percent Shia Muslim, I dont think that ISIS is going to continue to be able to make these kinds of attacks in Iran, because they dont have the reservoir of support in Iran that they may have elsewhere in the Arab world.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And, Randa, as we heard in Margaret Warners package at the beginning, ISIS hitting Iran in particular was like them stealing the crown jewels.

For those of us who dont understand, why is that such an attractive target to them?

RANDA SLIM: ISIS represents a the Salafi jihadi wing of radical radical wing of Sunni Islam.

And this is a form of Sunni Islam that looks at Shias, which is the main religion of Iran, as being apostates. And they look at their vision of Islam, and their mission of Islam is to cleanse Islam of these apostates, meaning the Shia.

But, also, ISIS is fighting for its survival. This is ISIS basically staking a claim in the leadership of this Sunni radical jihadi form of Sunni Islam, even after they are defeated in Mosul and after they are defeated in Raqqa.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Karim, we saw that, even though ISIS did claim responsibility for this, Iran immediately blamed Saudi Arabia for this attack. What do you make of that accusation?

KARIM SADJADPOUR: Well, Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been accusing one another of fueling ISIS.

For the Iranians, ISIS is a byproduct of Saudi Wahhabist ideology and Saudi financing. To the Saudis, ISIS is a byproduct of Iranian support for Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Shia militias in Iraq which are killing Sunnis en masse.

The reality is that ISIS poses a grave threat to Iran, but an even graver threat to Saudi Arabia. So, in theory, these two countries actually have a mutual adversary in ISIS. But what Iran has been doing which I think is quite dangerous is conflating Saudi Arabia and ISIS.

And they put their finger on something which has a powerful resonance amongst Iranians. And whether youre a Shiite cleric living in (INAUDIBLE) or a secular Iranian opponent of the regime living in Los Angeles, there is this kind of Persian nationalism against Saudi Arabia.

Theyre trying to harness that. But whats dangerous about that is not that they blamed Saudi Arabia for this attack and they vowed retaliation. This really has a danger of escalating this huge regional war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which has really eclipsed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in its destabilization on the Middle East.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Randa, as you heard Karim mention here, very strong tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. We also have a proxy war going on between the two nations in Yemen.

Do you think that this attack today I guess Im asking, are we getting potentially closer to an all-out conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia?

RANDA SLIM: Look, this attack definitely contributes to further escalation in an already volatile region and in an already tense relationship between the two regional powers.

And as we have seen in the past, when Iran and Saudi Arabia fight or escalate their fight, it doesnt stay with Saudi Arabia and Iran. It reverberates throughout the region, and because one way by which they wage this competition between them is through proxy fights in the rest of the region, be it in Yemen, be it in Syria, be it in Iraq, or even be it in Lebanon.

And so we are likely to see as tensions and as things escalate between the two countries, we are likely to see that being played out again in Yemen and being played out in Syria and being played out in Iraq.

Whats problematic here is that, instead of the two regional countries, Iran and Saudi Arabia, focusing their resources and working together on fighting a common economy to both of them, which is ISIS, we are seeing this now escalation in the relations between them, leading both to divert their resources and their attention from the real joint enemy, which is ISIS, and focusing it on waging this fight and this competition between them in different proxy sites around the region.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Karim, I wonder what you believe the Trump administrations response to all this is going to be.

KARIM SADJADPOUR: The Trump administration has gone back to kind of the status quo ante U.S. policy, which is cooperation with Saudi Arabia and containment of Iran.

I oftentimes think that President Trump views this as just simply siding with one team against another, and thats a dangerous recipe in the Middle East.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: All right, Karim Sadjadpour, Randa Slim, thank you both very much.

KARIM SADJADPOUR: Thank you, William.

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How the ISIS attack on Iran may escalate regional conflict | PBS ... - PBS NewsHour