Iran: Nationality of one of terrorists determined/ 11 backup members arrested in 6 provinces
IrnaJan 05
Iran Arrests 11 Suspects Over Deadly Twin Blasts
The Facts
Iran's security forces have detained 11 suspects in connection with twin bomb blasts that killed nearly 100 people in Kerman on Jan. 3, authorities announced Friday.
The arrests come after the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it a "dual martyrdom operation" and identified the suicide bombers as Omar al-Mowahid and Sayefulla al-Mujahid.
The Spin
Pro-Iran narrative
Although IS claims it's behind the nefarious attacks and the suspects arrested are all affiliated with the terrorist group, the circumstances surrounding the plot — particularly amid the current regional instability — suggests something larger may be at play. Pres. Raisi will get to the bottom of this and bring actors, both domestic and foreign, to justice.
Anti-Iran narrative
While blame for the attack was falsely placed on Israel and the US, the true culprit is IS, which seized an opportunity to strike against its enemy. This wasn't a covert operation by foreign powers but rather a well-planned terrorist attack tied to the centuries-long clash between Sunnis and Shiites.
Nerd narrative
There's an 7.5% chance that the US and Iran be primary actors on opposite sides of a war before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.