US reacts to Ahvaz terror attack, stopping short of denunciation

Tehran, Sept 23, IRNA - Following the terror attack in the Iranian city of Ahvaz, spokesman for the US National Security Council, Garrett Marquis, reacted to the incident by not condemning it, but by saying Iranian government should focus on keeping Iranians 'safe at home'.

  This is the first US reaction to the terrorist attack on the military parade in the Iranian southwestern city of Ahvaz, capital of Khuzestan Province.

While issued statements of condemnation of the terrorist attacks mostly include denouncing such strikes, Marquis refused to say a single word to show Washington's denunciation of the attack that so far has resulted in 25 deaths, and at least 70 more injuries, mostly civilians.

Instead, he chose to only sympathize with the Iranian people.

“The United States stands with the Iranian people,' he said in a telephone conversation with the 'World Views', the Washington Post's foreign news blog.

In the same vein, the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, Heather Nauert, offered a too-late statement, claiming they stand with the Iranian people.

During the indiscriminate attack carried out on Saturdaymorning, four gunmen affiliated with the separatist group 'Al-Ahwaz' opened fire on a military parade and targeted civilians, the military and the security forces.

The civilians bore the brunt of the attack. A four-year-old boy who was watching the military parade is among those killed.

The terror assault sparked widespread condemnation both nationally and internationally.