Iran’s intelligence minister says “a number of ISIS cells in Iran have been identified and destroyed”.
ISNA reports that Mahmoud Alavi gave a speech at the Friday Mass Prayers in Tehran on May 29, announcing: “Cells linked to ISIS were discovered one after the other. Their equipment was confiscated and their numbers have taken a blow.”
Alavi added that ISIS and its supporters have made significant attempts to create insecurity in Iran but “to date they have not been successful”.
In the past week, a number of Iranian officials have spoken about the threat ISIS poses to the country.
On Thursday, the minister of defence said ISIS does not have the capacity to threaten Iran.
Earlier, the interior minister said if ISIS forces come within 40 km of Iran’s borders, the government will take “necessary measures”.
Alavi said today that “tens of conspiracies have been defused” in the past year, referring to the kidnappers of an Iranian fencing champion who have confessed to planning “bombing operations in Mashhad”.
Hamed Sedaghati was kidnapped in Sistan-Baluchistan province about a year ago and was freed after a few months.
The minister also mentioned the identification of a group in Sistan-Baluchistan that was reportedly linked to the assassination of a number of teachers and Basij members in the region.
