Iran has warned Russia of the possibility of a major “terrorist operation” on its territory before the Moscow concert hall massacre

Iran warned Russia of the possibility of a major “terrorist operation” on its soil before last month’s concert hall massacre near Moscow, three sources familiar with the matter said, cited by Reuters.

In the deadliest attack inside Russia in 20 years, gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on concertgoers at the Crocus City Hall concert hall on March 22, killing at least 144 people in violence claimed by the group militant Islamic State.

“A few days before the attack in Russia, Tehran shared with Moscow information about a possible major terrorist attack inside Russia, information that was obtained during the interrogation of those arrested in connection with the deadly attacks in Iran,” a source said.

Iran’s intelligence ministry said in January it had arrested 35 people in connection with twin bombings on January 3 in the southeastern city of Kerman that killed nearly 100 people. On January 19, the ministry said it had arrested a commander of the Islamic State’s Afghanistan-based ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) affiliate.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blasts in Iran, the deadliest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. US intelligence sources said ISIS-K carried out both the January 3 attacks in Iran and the March 22 shootings in Moscow.

Islamic State once held large swathes of Iraq and Syria, imposing a reign of terror and inspiring “lone wolf” attacks in Western countries, but was declared territorially defeated in 2017.

However, ISIS-K, one of its most feared offshoots, has once again raised the group’s profile through widespread bloodshed.

ISIS-K, named after an old term for a region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and quickly established a reputation for extreme brutality.

“SIGNIFICANT OPERATION

A second source, who also requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said the information Tehran provided to Moscow about an imminent attack lacked specific details on the exact timing and target.

“They (ISIS-K members) were instructed to prepare for a significant operation in Russia… One of the terrorists (arrested in Iran) stated that some members of the group had already traveled to Russia,” the second said source.

A third source, a senior security official, said: “Since Iran has been the victim of terrorist attacks for years, the Iranian authorities fulfilled their obligation to alert Moscow based on the information gained from those arrested terrorists.”

Iran’s foreign ministry and the Kremlin did not respond to a request for comment for this article. The White House had no comment on the issue.

A source familiar with US intelligence on an imminent attack in Russia said it was based on intercepts of “discussions” between ISIS-K militants.

Disputing the US claims, Russia said it believed Ukraine was connected to the attack, without providing evidence. Kiev strongly denied the claim.

However, Russia is finding it harder to refute information provided by diplomatic ally Iran about the attack, which has raised questions about the effectiveness of Russian security services. Moscow and Tehran, both under Western sanctions, have deepened military and other cooperation since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

CITIZENS OF TAJIKISTAN

Both the attacks in Kerman and those near Moscow involved Tajik citizens. ISIS-K has been aggressively recruiting from the impoverished former Soviet republic of Tajikistan, security experts say.

Sources said Iran had discussed its security concerns with Tajikistan. A diplomatic source in Tajikistan confirmed that Tehran recently discussed with Dushanbe the issue of the growing involvement of ethnic Tajiks in militant activities.

Islamic State harbors a virulent hatred of Shiites – the dominant sect in Iran and also the targets of attacks by its affiliate in Afghanistan. He considers them apostates.

In 2022, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Shiite shrine in Iran that killed 13 people. Tehran identified the attacker as a Tajik national.

Previous attacks claimed by Islamic State include twin bombings in 2017 that targeted Iran’s parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.