Iranian intelligence authorities have apprehended 28 individuals with ties to the Daesh extremist group for their involvement in a plot to target Tehran during the anniversary of last year's protests, as announced by the intelligence ministry on Sunday.
The protests, which initially erupted in response to the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, Mahsa Amini, while in custody on September 16, 2022, gained momentum due to allegations of her arrest for supposedly violating Iran's stringent dress code for women.
In a statement published on its official website, the intelligence ministry disclosed that "in recent days, during a series of simultaneous operations in Tehran, Alborz, and West Azerbaijan provinces, several terrorist bases and safe houses were raided, resulting in the arrest of 28 members of the mentioned terrorist network."
The ministry further revealed that these individuals were affiliated with the Daesh group, with some of them having previous records of association with takfiris in Syria, as well as engagement in activities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq. In the context of Shiite-dominated Iran, "takfiri" typically refers to proponents of radical Sunni Islam.
The operations led to injuries of two security personnel, and authorities seized a significant cache of explosives, firearms, suicide vests, and communication devices.
According to the intelligence ministry, the thwarted plot aimed to "carry out 30 simultaneous terrorist explosions in densely populated areas of Tehran with the intent to disrupt security and incite riots and protests on the anniversary of last year's disturbances."
The protests that spanned several months resulted in numerous casualties, including both civilians and security personnel, which the Iranian government labeled as "riots" incited by foreign governments and "hostile media."
In a related development, a court recently handed down a death sentence to a Tajik Daesh member convicted for a fatal gun attack on a Shiite Muslim shrine last month. The attack targeted the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in Shiraz, the capital of Fars province in southern Iran, occurring less than a year after a mass shooting at the same location, which was subsequently claimed by the Daesh group.