On Wednesday, Iran witnessed two unprecedented terrorist attacks by ISIS in the capital city of Tehran resulting in 12 casualties and 42 were wounded. Terrorists targeted Iran’s parliament building and the tomb of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic’s founder. There were six known attackers killed in the ambush and five suspects were detained following the assault, that lasted for hours. Considered to be the deadliest terror attack, Iran has witnessed in years, the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard blamed Saudi Arabia and the US for the attacks.

Saudi Arabia denied its involvement in the assault.

Controversial White House statement

In response to Iran’s dual-terrorist attacks, the White House, released a statement that essentially blamed Iran for the terrorist attack against Iranians.

“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,” President Trump said in the statement. During last year's US presidential campaign, Donald Trump suggested that one of his top priorities was to dismantle the "disastrous" 2015 Iran deal aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

President Trump continues to maintain his criticism of Iran.

In 1984, US State Department designated Iran as a ‘state sponsor of terrorism.’ Its Shia-majority government has been accused for involvement in the war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Even though Trump’s statement seemed accusatory in nature, the State Department refrained from such overtones.

The State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in her statement,

"The United States condemns the terrorist attacks in Tehran today. We express our condolences to the victims and their families, and send our thoughts and prayers to the people of Iran. The depravity of terrorism has no place in a peaceful, civilized world.”

Iran rejects US claims of friendship

Responding to President Trump’s accusatory condolences, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarid tweeted:

Iran also made a statement alleging that the attacks followed Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, where he strongly asserted Washington's support for Riyadh.

The statement said Saudi Arabia "constantly supports" terrorists including the Islamic State group, adding that the IS claim of responsibility "reveals (Saudi Arabia's) hand in this barbaric action."

The "spilled blood of the innocent will not remain unavenged," the Revolutionary Guard statement said.
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