Report uncovers who alerted Russia to impending Moscow attack

Reports have emerged that Iran had alerted Russia to the impending attack on Moscow concert hall prior to the bombing by terrorist group, ISIS.

Iran had reportedly provided advance warning to Russia regarding the possibility of a significant terrorist operation on Russian soil, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The alert preceded the tragic massacre at a concert hall near Moscow last month, marking the deadliest attack within Russia in two decades, claimed by the Islamic State militant group.

In the aftermath of the March 22nd attack at Crocus City Hall, where gunmen opened fire on concertgoers, resulting in the deaths of at least 144 individuals, questions arose over the effectiveness of Russian security services.

Despite prior warnings from both Iran and the United States regarding potential militant Islamist attacks, Moscow, harboring deep distrust toward Washington, downplayed the intelligence provided by the U.S.

The information shared by Iran with Moscow reportedly stemmed from interrogations of suspects apprehended in connection with deadly bombings in the Iranian city of Kerman.

Iran had arrested 35 individuals in January, including a commander affiliated with the Islamic State’s Afghanistan-based branch known as ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K). This group was allegedly responsible for twin bombings in Kerman on January 3rd, which claimed nearly 100 lives.

According to U.S. intelligence sources, ISIS-K was implicated in both the attacks in Iran and the subsequent shootings in Moscow. While the Islamic State faced territorial defeat in 2017, its offshoot ISIS-K has continued to perpetrate large-scale violence, particularly in Afghanistan.

Iranian authorities, familiar with the scourge of terrorism due to years of attacks, fulfilled their obligation to alert Moscow based on information gleaned from the arrested terrorists, as stated by a senior security official.

However, the information provided by Iran lacked specific details regarding the timing and exact target of the impending attack, as noted by one of the sources.

Nevertheless, it was revealed that members of ISIS-K had been instructed to prepare for a significant operation in Russia, with some already having traveled to the country.

When approached for comment by Reuters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated he was unaware of the matter, while Iran’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The White House also refrained from commenting on the issue.

The U.S. intelligence on the potential attack in Russia was reportedly based on intercepted communications among ISIS-K militants.

In response to these assertions, Russia has suggested a link between Ukraine and the attack, a claim vehemently denied by Kyiv.