On Saturday, Iranian authorities apprehended Jamshid Sharmahd, the leader of the Tondar (‘Thunder') terrorist group. The US-based group has carried out several terror attacks inside Iran, including the bombing of a mosque and the assassination of a nuclear scientist, and has called for the violent overthrow of the Iranian government.
US officials were confounded by the Iranian intelligence services' operation to capture Tondar leader Jamshid Sharmahd, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi has said.
“Jamshid Sharmahd and his associates planned some 27 acts of terror, all of which were thwarted thanks to the perseverance, vigilance and knowledge of Iranian intelligence forces,” Alavi added.
Earlier, Iranian media released a photo and video footage of Sharmahd with a black cloth covering his eyes during questioning. In the video clip, he can be heard saying “They needed explosives and we provided it.”
Protected by the FBI
The intelligence official also offered insight into the specifics of the Tondar organization itself, saying that among the pro-monarchist currents in Iran, Tondar is the “most violence-prone” and the most prepared to commit acts of terror to reach its goal. Other royalist opposition groups have limited themselves mostly to statements and slogans, he added.
Interpol Request Ignored
Alavi noted that Iranian authorities had sought cooperation from Interpol in arresting…
