TEHRAN - President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday that the terrorist attacks in Tehran on Wednesday were in fact vengeance against democracy.

 “Whenever the Iranian nation achieve a great victory the ill-wishers seek to do a blow to the people and country,” Rouhani said in reference to the May 19 presidential and council elections in which about 73 of the people participated.

The huge turnout was described as a national festivity and won international praise.

Rouhani who was speaking to the national TV on the sidelines of the funeral ceremony for the victims of the terrorist attacks said “democracy shows that violence is not the solution”.

In two near-simultaneous terrorist attacks on the administrative building of the Majlis in central Tehran and the shrine of Imam Khomeini in southern Tehran on Wednesday 17 people were killed and 52 injured.`

The president said supporters of terrorists have been seeking to “take avenge” of democratic Iran but they are “ignorant” of this fact that the Iranians are “resistant” and have experienced such incidents many times.

PA/PA