Ministry of Intelligence Reports Foiling of Several Bombing Operations in Iran

One day after the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran stated that a 'terrorist network' had been dismantled with the intention of carrying out 'suicide operations in Tehran', the Ministry of Intelligence reported the 'neutralization' of 'several bombings' planned by 'Wahhabi Takfiri groups' in Tehran and 'several other provinces' and the arrest of several individuals in this regard. According to the IRNA news agency, the Ministry of Intelligence of Iran announced on Tuesday, June 31, that 'one of the largest terrorist plots of Takfiri Wahhabi groups was discovered and neutralized during the days associated with Lady Khadijah al-Kubra.' The Ministry stated that 'a series of bombings had been prepared in various locations deep within the country, specifically for upcoming occasions,' which were 'neutralized' in Tehran and 'several other provinces.' Iranian officials refer to groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda as 'Takfiri groups.' The 10th of Ramadan in the lunar calendar coincides with the date of the death of Khadijah, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad. The Ministry of Intelligence also stated, without specifying the number of arrests, that 'the terrorists were detained and a number of ready-to-explode bombs and large quantities of explosive materials were discovered and seized.' The Ministry, referencing 'field investigations inside and outside the country' and the 'continuation of interrogations' of the detained individuals, promised that 'additional information will be announced as soon as protective conditions permit.' Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, had reported on Sunday, without providing details, the 'discovery and dismantling of a terrorist network' during Ramadan that, according to him, 'intended to carry out suicide operations in Tehran.' Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence of Iran, has repeatedly reported, without details, on the arrests of 'terrorist' groups affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iran. On Tuesday, April 31, he reported, without details, on the thwarting of a 'terrorist' plan to detonate explosives in one of the country's crowded centers. On May 31, the Minister also stated that in 1994, 'more than 20 terrorist teams that planned bomb explosions and anti-security actions' were identified by the Ministry of Intelligence, and based on the arrests, 'many actions were prevented.' Meanwhile, Ahmadreza Pourdastan, the commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces, also reported on April 24 that 'a group' of Islamic State forces had entered Iran in the last month of the previous year, and Iranian forces had neutralized two of them who had 'explosive vests.' Iranian officials have not yet provided evidence regarding the detained individuals or the operations that were to be carried out.