Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, was attacked by ISIS this morning.

Twelve people were killed and 42 injured in the simultaneous attacks on the parliament building in Tehran and the shrine of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, to the south of the city, state-run Press TV said.

The Sunni extremist group Islamic State took responsibility for both attacks using its Amaq News Agency, saying they were carried out by its fighters and were its first in Iran — the Middle East’s Shiite power.

Ponder on this for a minute. It is well-documented that Iran has sponsored terror groups all over the world.

We can count Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Quaeda, and ISIS among those groups. 

In a rare and stunning move, ISIS released video from inside the parliament building while the attack was under way.  The video, circulated online, shows a gunman and a bloody, lifeless body of a man lying on the ground next to a desk. A voice on the video praises God and says in Arabic: “Do you think we will leave? We will remain, God willing.” Another voice repeats the same words. The two appeared to be parroting a slogan used by IS spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, who was killed in Syria last year.

Many of the attackers dressed up as women. At least one was wearing a suicide vest and blew himself up inside the Parliament building.  

What is incredibly interesting about this is:

A. The symbolism of the attack. The Ayatollah’s shrine has been in place as an homage to the leader who ousted the Shah in 1979 and led the way to the seizure of the U.S. Embassy and holding Americans hostage for 144 days.

B. Al-Quaeda had actually ordered their people to NOT attack their benefactor. Ever.

2. #ISIS previously admitted that it had followed orders from al Qaeda's leadership to refrain from launching attacks inside Iran.

— Thomas Joscelyn (@thomasjoscelyn) June 7, 2017

3. #ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al Adnani said in 2014:
"Let history record that Iran owes al Qaeda invaluably.” pic.twitter.com/iRZwX98AEE

— Thomas Joscelyn (@thomasjoscelyn) June 7, 2017

5. Osama bin Laden wrote in an Oct. 2007 letter, presumably to ISI leader Abu Hamza al Muhajir, that Iran was Al Qaeda's "main artery": pic.twitter.com/ReGYZqwwf3

— Thomas Joscelyn (@thomasjoscelyn) June 7, 2017

6. Bin Laden's position was a bit nuanced, but he concluded it would be better not to attack Iran because it was a key pipeline for his org.

— Thomas Joscelyn (@thomasjoscelyn) June 7, 2017

Read the entire thread. It’s well worth your time. So why now? Why, when it is clear that Iran was a critical pipeline for major terrorist groups, would one of their own turn around and attack them?

How about these excellent points made by Lt. Col Tony Shaffer (Ret) regarding the long-running generational issues between the Sunni’s and Shiites?

So, Iran is Persian which is Shiite and ISIS and Al-Quaeda are Sunni. Both terrorist groups, due to their Sunni faith, have a long-standing animosity towards Shiite Iran, terror funding notwithstanding. So, when Iran started helping out Syria, it possibly signaled to ISIS that their benefactor has taken the wrong path. Perhaps that is what led to today’s attack.

What will Iran do in retaliation? That is the question. Right now Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is blaming Saudi Arabia, claiming that they are supporting backwards leaning terrorists. Interesting premise since, just the other day, the Saudi’s imposed a major travel ban on Qatar for THEIR sponsorship of the Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist groups.

Will this push Iran towards a much harsher regional policy? Something to think about. Will the dubious success of this attack, in the heart of Iran at a major shrine to the Iranian people by a woman, embolden ISIS further? We will see.

One thing is clear: terrorism is a feature, not a bug for Iran. And one of the scorpions they nurture just turned around and bit them right where it hurts.