WASHINGTON: According to a report first carried by the Wall Street Journal, an anonymous US official has said that Washington had warned Iran that the Islamic State's affliate group in Afghanistan, the ISIS-K, was planning to carry out a terrorist attack before the bombings in Kerman took place in early January, killing 95 people. The attack came during a commeration ceremony marking the anniversary of Iranian General Qaseem Soleimani's death as a result of US drone strike. The attack involved two suicide blasts that killed 95 and injured dozens of others in the city of Kerman. Later, the ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack that led Iran to retailate with missile strikes on Iran, Iraq and Pakistan. Amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the incident further fanned regional tensions, particulary when Pakistan retailated against the strikes by launching its own airstrikes on Iranian territory. 

The aformentioned US official, who insisted on remaining anonymous as they were not authorised to comment on the matter, said that the US was simply following its longstanding policy of warning other governments about potential terror threats when it issued a warning to Iran. The official did not detail how the US communicated this warning given that Washington does not have any formal diplomatic relations with Tehran. 

Iranian state media has made no mention of the US providing Iran with this information and Tehran's mission to the United Nations has also, thus far, not commented. 

With inputs from AP.