Iran parade attack

This item appears on page 17 of the November 2018 issue.

At least 25 people were killed when gunmen opened fire on a military parade in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran, on Sept. 22. Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard were targeted, but women and children also were victims. Two of the gunmen were killed and two others were detained during the attack.

An ethnically Arab separatist group claimed responsibility for the attack, as did the Islamist militant group Daesh (ISIL), but evidence points to the Arab group as the culprits. After the attack, Iranian police forces arrested a number of people suspected of being involved in planning the attack.

The deputy head of the Revolutionary Guard blamed the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel for being behind the attack and promised retribution. The US denied any involvement, and Israel and Saudi Arabia did not comment on the accusation.