UN condemns attack in Iran's Ahvaz

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The UN Security Council condemned "in the strongest terms" Monday a weekend terrorist attack on a military parade in Ahvaz, Iran that left at least 25 people dead.

"The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and all other relevant authorities in this regard," the council said in a statement.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security," it added.

In addition to the 25 people who were killed, over 60 other victims were injured in Saturday’s attack in which gunmen wearing military uniforms fired at Iranian forces for about 10 minutes, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

The casualties included a woman and a child, a journalist and members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, IRNA reported.

Iranian authorities have blamed Gulf Arab states and the U.S. for the attack.

“Those who are the so-called advocates of human rights have to be held accountable for the attack,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told reporters in Tehran on Sunday before leaving for the 73rd UN General Assembly in New York.

“Iran undoubtedly will not give up [investigating] the crime,” IRNA quoted Rouhani as saying.