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Tehran Terror Attacks Expose Rifts Within Iranian Establishment


A Revolutionary Guard moves during the attack on parliament in the center Tehran June 7.
A Revolutionary Guard moves during the attack on parliament in the center Tehran June 7.

Appeals for unity answered with calls for revenge. Pledges of solidarity competing against vows to "eliminate" the culprits.

The deadly twin terror attacks that rocked the Iranian capital, Tehran, on June 7 have triggered a dramatic split in public opinion.

Many officials, as well as the country's pro-reform and moderate press, are calling for unity in the aftermath of the attacks. Hard-liners, however, are vowing revenge while pointing fingers at Iran's main regional rival, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

Seventeen people were killed and more than 40 wounded when assailants stormed the parliament building in central Tehran and simultaneously attacked the shrine of the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility, a first for the militants in Iran.

"Hand-In-Hand Against Terrorism" and "Together For Iran" read the front page of the reformist daily Bahar, which featured a drawing of several clasped hands and one of the most prominent symbols in Tehran, the Azadi tower.

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