Netanyahu Calls Accusations of Israeli Involvement in Ahvaz Attack 'Ridiculous'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reacted to Iranian officials' claims of Israel's involvement in the attack on military parades in Ahvaz, calling them 'ridiculous.' Netanyahu wrote on his Twitter account: 'The Iranian regime's attempt to link the terrorist attack in southern Iran to Israel is ridiculous.' He emphasized that the inscriptions on the missiles fired at Syria stating 'Death to Israel' clearly indicate their intentions. Netanyahu referred to the ballistic missiles that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims were fired at the 'leaders' of the Ahvaz attack in Syria. Reports indicate that at least one of the six missiles fired by the IRGC at the eastern Euphrates in Syria bore slogans such as 'Death to Al Saud,' 'Death to Israel,' and 'Death to America.' The IRGC claims to have targeted the 'headquarters' of the perpetrators of the Ahvaz attack in Syria. Iranian officials state that during the attack by five armed men on the military parade marking the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war in Ahvaz, at least 24 people were killed. The Islamic State group released a video on its 'Amaq' site after the attack, claiming it contained images and statements from three of the attackers. While Iranian officials accuse the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Israel of involvement in the Ahvaz attack, they have not provided evidence or documentation to support these claims. In this context, Ahmad Saleh Jokar, the parliamentary deputy of the IRGC, defended the slogans on the missiles in an interview on Monday, stating that the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia are 'behind the scenes of instability in Iraq and Syria. I believe they are supporters of terrorists, and they have admitted it themselves.' This is despite the U.S. leading a coalition to fight ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia has also rejected Iran's claims regarding its support for the attackers at the military parade in Ahvaz. The Saudi state news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry official stating: 'Saudi Arabia rejects and condemns Iran's claim regarding our support for the incident that occurred on Saturday in Iran.' U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also described Iran's allegations of U.S. involvement in the Ahvaz attack as 'ridiculous.'