Concert hall massacre
Iran is also said to have warned Moscow of the threat of terrorism
April 2, 2024, 8:58 a.m
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According to insiders, Russia also received warnings from Iran before the terrorist attack in a concert hall. Moscow did not take similar information from the USA seriously. However, Tehran is considered a close ally, especially since the invasion of Ukraine.
Iran is also said to have warned Russia of a major “terrorist operation” before the massacre in a concert hall near Moscow. Three sources familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency. “Days before the attack in Russia, Tehran shared with Moscow information about a possible major terrorist attack in Russia, gleaned from interrogations of people arrested in connection with deadly bombings in Iran,” one of the sources said.
Iran arrested 35 people in January, including a commander of the Afghanistan-based Islamic State affiliate ISIS-Khorasan, which is linked to the bombings in the city of Kerman. The United States also issued warnings about the terrorist attack in Russia, but the Kremlin downplayed them. The US Embassy said at the beginning of March that there were reports that extremists were planning to soon target large crowds, including concerts in Moscow.
In the deadliest attack in Russia in 20 years, which took place around two weeks later, gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on concertgoers at Crocus City Hall, killing at least 144 people. IS-Khorasan, the very branch from which Iran arrested a commander in January, claimed responsibility for the violent act.
Iran and Russia have deepened their cooperation since the Kremlin troops invaded Ukraine. It is harder for Moscow to reject information from ally Iran about the attack, which has also raised questions about the effectiveness of Russia’s security services, than from the United States.