At 11:00 am local time, the attack on the tomb or shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (who died in 1989) was attacked by two men, one suicide bomber and a gunman. The suicide bomber detonated the device at the west entrance of the mausoleum and the death of the second gunman is unclear at this time. There are different reports regarding his death, one states the man killed himself with a cyanide pill and the other story asserts security forces shot the gunman.

Police standing over the bodies of the attackers. Image courtesy of AP

Dead suicide bomber. Image courtesy of Twitter/@AbasAslani

Dead suicide bomber. Image courtesy of Twitter/@AbasAslani

According to Washington Post, Iranian intelligence claimed to have stopped a third attack, however they did not indicate a potential target.

Iranian intelligence, meanwhile, said they had foiled a third attack and arrested a team, according to the state broadcaster. The statement from the Islamic State did not mention a third attack.”- Washington Post

If this was actually the Islamic State that attacked Tehran, this would be the first significant attack by ISIS on Iranian soil. Following the death of Saddam Hussein, the border between Iraq and Iran has been very porous but mostly for Shia Muslims with family in either countries, subversive Shia militias, and religious pilgrims. This symbolic attack also occurred in the same week Iranian influence has altered Qatar’s political presence in the Middle East.

Featured image courtesy of Reuters