Hezbollah condemns Iran terror attack as death toll rises to 16

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A statement issued Wednesday evening stopped short of alleging direct Saudi involvement but called it "meaningful" that the attacks followed Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, where he strongly asserted Washington's support for Riyadh.

On the streets of the capital Thursday, Iranians said they remained suspicious that Saudi Arabia had a hand in the attack. But no proof or specifics were offered.

The Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police Chief Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari said Thursday one of the attackers was in custody and being interrogated.

"Terrorism is a global problem, and unity to fight extremism, violence and terrorism with regional and worldwide cooperation is the most important need of today's world", Rouhani said, according to AFP.

Wednesday's attacks on Tehran's parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which also wounded more than 50 people, were the first claimed by IS in Iran. One of the attackers blew himself up inside, where a session had been in progress.

The assailants then pulled out their Kalashnikovs rifles and pistols to start a blind shooting rampage that left 11 dead and dozens wounded.

Iran's Intelligence Ministry has confirmed that five of the men involved in terror attacks in Iran had fought for the Islamic State group.

The ministry also published pictures of their corpses. Lifting economic penalties saved Iran's economy, GOP lawmakers added, and allowed the country to funnel more money to terrorist groups. "We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote".

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Hezbollah is seen as an Iranian proxy in Syria and Lebanon and has aligned itself with Tehran amid mounting regional tensions with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Iran is a majority-Shia nation, and the Islamic State is a Sunni group that often targets Shia Muslims.

Iran is a key fighting force against IS and other groups in Iraq and Syria, and the jihadists consider Iran's ShiaMuslims to be apostates.

Authorities also raised the death toll in the attacks to 16 people killed.

Shojaei told state TV that "three of the victims are women".

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded that such "repugnant" statements are rejected by the Iranian people, adding that "terror-sponsoring despots threaten to bring the fight to our homeland".

Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps also issued a statement, laying blame for the attacks on the USA and Saudi Arabia.

That second sentence, suggesting Iran bears responsibility for an attack against its civilians, was not well-received, NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

In August 2016, as part of a terrorist cell, and under the command of Abu Aisha, who is a senior ISIS commander, they entered Iran to carry out terrorist attacks in holy cities. The episode shows just how deep and distorting the administration's Iran obsession is, and that bodes ill for the future of USA foreign policy in the region.

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