Leader: Criminals Will Surely Be Punished

Date: 28 October 2022 - 22:35

News ID: ۱۰۸۳۳۲

TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said the heinous crime that took place in the holy shrine of Ahmad ibn Musa in Shiraz and led to the martyrdom and injury of scores of innocent men, women, and children had saddened and grieved the hearts of Iranians.
“The perpetrator or perpetrators of this heinous crime will surely be punished,” the Leader said in a statement after a terrorist opened fire at pilgrims and worshipers during evening prayers on Wednesday.
The Leader said the pain of the bereaved families and desecration of the shrine will not be remedied unless the roots of the tragedy are investigated and a decisive and wise action is taken.
“We all have a duty to deal with the enemy and its traitorous or ignorant agents,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“All in security and justice as well as our dear people must be united against a trend that condones violating the lives of the people as well as security and sanctities. The dear Iranian nation and the responsible sectors will definitely prevail against the criminal conspiracies of the enemies, God willing,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed condolences to the bereaved families, and the people of Shiraz and as well as all Iranians, praying for the quick recovery of the injured.
President Ebrahim Raisi said riots that have hit Iran in recent week pave the way for terror attacks.
“The intention of the enemy is to disrupt the country’s progress, and then these riots pave the ground for terrorist acts,” he said in televised remarks on Thursday.
The president promised “a severe response”, and condemned “the enemies of Iran” who attempt to “divide the united ranks of the nation… through violence and terror”.
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Muhammad Baqeri said security and intelligence forces will soon punish the “internal and foreign designers and perpetrators” of the brutal crime.
He said rioters behind the recent wave of unrest in the country and those who have been deceived in the case are “undoubtedly complicit in this big crime.”
The top Iranian commander emphasized that the plot has been devised and directed by “the vicious Hebrew-Arabic-Western triangle.”
The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also said Iran will retaliate.
“We firmly declare: The fire of revenge of the people of Iran will finally catch up with them and punish them for their shameful deeds,” Major General Hussein Salami said.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said those fanning the flames of recent riots in Iran are responsible for the horrendous attack in Shiraz.
Speaking in a televised speech broadcast live from Beirut on Thursday evening, Nasrallah offered his condolences to Ayatollah Khamenei as well as the Iranian nation, government and the families of the victims.
“Those who have been directing the recent unrest in Iran are the ones that dispatched assailants to Shiraz to kill innocent people,” Nasrallah said.
He said the terrible crime in Shiraz further exposed the true nature of the extremists and the criminal ideology being backed by the United States.
“Daesh is currently tasked with pursuing the US administration’s interests in Afghanistan, targeting Afghan people, and carrying out attacks against Iran and other neighboring countries,” he said.
“Washington is leading a criminal operations command center. It is making use of its pawns in order to fan the flames of recent riots in Iran, and target civilians in Shiraz and other parts of the country,” he added.
Muhammad Ali al-Houthi, a senior member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, said, “We are confident that this heinous incident will increase the unity of the Iranian people in the face of the plans of the enemies of Iran.”
Sayyed Ammar al-Hakim, the head of Iraq’s National Wisdom coalition, also decried the attack.
Speaking to reporters in New York, UN chief Antonio Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the world body condemns the attack and expressed sympathy with the Iranian people and government.