Iran executes eight over deadly IS attacks in Tehran

Iran executes eight over deadly IS attacks in Tehran
Iran has executed eight people convicted over two deadly attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in Tehran last year, the judiciary's news agency said on Saturday.

2 min read
07 July, 2018
The assault was the first and only claimed by IS in Tehran [Getty]

Eight people convicted over two deadly attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in Tehran last year were executed, the judiciary's news agency said on Saturday.

The Iranian men were convicted of collaborating directly with the IS jihadists who carried out the attacks on June 7, 2017, Mizan Online reported.

"They supported them financially and procured arms, while being informed of the aims and the intentions of the terrorist group," the agency said.

It did not specify when the executions took place, but the Tasnim news agency said the sentences were carried out on Saturday.

IS claimed responsibility for the dual attack on Iran's parliament and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini that killed 17 people and wounded dozens.

The assault was the first and only claimed by the Islamic State group in Tehran.

Iran was targeted for supporting Iraqi and Syrian authorities in their fight against IS and other jihadist groups in the two countries.

Five assailants died, either in suicide bombings or killed by Iranian security forces.

Legal proceedings continue for others allegedly involved in the attacks, Mizan Online said.

In the aftermath of the attack, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said the alleged mastermind behind the attacks had been tracked down and killed outside the country.

"The mastermind who controlled the team... who had fled outside the country... paid the price for his crimes, with the cooperation of intelligence services of allied countries," Alavi told state television, without providing further details.

At least 41 IS suspects were arrested after the attacks, according to Alavi, who said Iran dismantled suspected militant cells with increasing frequency.

From January to  March 2017 "we dismantled 45 cells, while in the past two-and-a-half months alone we have dismantled more than 25 terrorist cells," he said.

In 2017, Iran executed more people than any other country except for China. Iran is home to 80 million to China's 1.4 billion.