Iran Guard launches missiles into Syria over parade attack

Iran's currency, the rial, has been plunging to new lows over a weak economy, financial difficulties at local banks and heavy demand for dollars among Iranians who fear the effects of sanctions imposed by the United States. The currency is placed at 60,000 rials to the dollar, which was a loss of one-third of its value in 2018 alone. While citizens are not exactly shoveling out bricks after bricks of cash for a loaf of bread, they have to think twice before spending their money as their goods are beginning to see a sharp increase in prices. (Image: Reuters)

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Monday it launched ballistic missiles into eastern Syria targeting militants it blamed for a recent attack on a military parade.

State television and the state-run IRNA news agency said the attacks "killed and wounded" militants in Syria "east of the Euphrates River," without elaborating. Syrian state media did not immediately acknowledge the strike.

The Guard published images on its website showing what it described as the missile launch near a rocky outcropping in an undisclosed location. Previously, the Guard has launched missiles from Iran's western provinces for such attacks.

The attack adds to confusion over who carried out the assault on the military parade in Ahvaz on September 22 that killed at least 24 people and wounded over 60.

Iran initially blamed Arab separatists for the attack in which gunmen disguised as soldiers open fire on the crowd and officials watching the parade from a riser in the southwestern city. Arab separatists also immediately claimed the attack and offered details about one of the attackers that ultimately turned out to be true.

The extremist Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for the assault, but initially made factual incorrect claims about it. Later, IS released footage of several men that Iran ultimately identified as attackers, though the men in the footage never pledged allegiance to the extremist group.

This is the third time in recent months that Iran has fired its ballistic missiles in anger. Last year, Iran fired ballistic missiles into Syria over a bloody IS attack on Tehran targeting parliament and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

In September, Iran fired missiles into Iraq targeting a base of an Iranian Kurdish separatist group. The separatists say that strike killed at least 11 people and wounded 50.