The US secretly warned Iran of a potential ISIS terror attack before the group carried out a deadly assault in Kerman, Iran, on January 3, 2024. The private warning was based on intelligence obtained by the US about ISIS' plans and was given to the Iranian government, in line with a longstanding "duty to warn" policy. This policy applies even to US adversaries, and the US government followed it to prevent innocent lives from being lost in a terrorist attack. The warning was notable because Iran is not a US partner or ally, and because Iran has been linked to a recent increase in attacks by its proxy militias. The Iranian government, however, was unable to prevent the ISIS attack, which was the deadliest in Iran since the 1979 revolution, resulting in at least 84 deaths and 284 injuries. The US did not detail the channels through which the warning was delivered to Iran, and it is unclear why Iran was unable to stop the attack despite the warning. Iranian officials did not respond to the US about the warning, and it wasn't clear why they did not prevent the attack. The US government's "duty to warn" policy requires intelligence community entities to warn intended victims of attacks, both US and non-US citizens, unless the intended targets are terrorists or criminals, or issuing the warning would endanger US or allied government personnel or intelligence or military operations. The US official did not detail how the warning was conveyed to Iran, as the US does not have diplomatic relations with Iran. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the January 3 attack, which targeted a funeral procession for a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a 2020 US drone strike in Baghdad. The attack killed at least 95 people and wounded dozens of others. Iranian state media did not acknowledge the US providing the information, and Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment
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