One of the frequent claims about Iran is that the Shia are fanatical, suicide bombers. Turns out that is just one more lie. The data on incidents of suicide bombers tells a different story. This is not my opinion… The numbers are from data sources that include the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST) Database on Suicide Attacks (1982–2019), Combating Terrorism Center reports, Global Terrorism Database (START), and academic studies (e.g., Choi/Piazza 2022). Exact percentages vary by dataset inclusion criteria and time frames, but the Sunni dominance (especially post-1990s) is consistent across sources. Since 1980, the vast majority of suicide bombings (often termed suicide attacks or suicide terrorism in databases) have been carried out by Sunni Muslim perpetrators or groups, with Shia involvement being significantly lower and largely limited to specific historical periods. Why am I belaboring this issue? Because the United States has a 40-year record of supporting and financing some of this Sunni extremists. The most recent example… Backing the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who is currently rebranded as Al-Shara and was appointed President of Syria by the West. On more example of the US being a major sponsor of terrorism that is directed against Shias.
Reliable, comprehensive databases tracking suicide attacks (primarily Islamist ones, as they dominate post-1980 trends) show a clear sectarian breakdown. Sunni perpetrators : Overwhelmingly dominant, especially from the 1990s onward. Major groups include al-Qaeda affiliates, Islamic State (ISIS), Taliban, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, Hamas (Sunni Palestinian), and various Salafi-jihadi networks. These account for the bulk of attacks in Iraq (post-2003), Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Nigeria, Somalia, and elsewhere. [Note: Hamas stopped using this attack vector in the early 2000s during the Second Intifada.]:
- Studies (e.g., from the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, analyzing data up to the mid-2000s/early 2010s) indicate that Salafi-jihadi (Sunni extremist) groups were responsible for roughly 45% of identifiable suicide attacks in the 2000s decade, with hybrid Sunni-nationalist groups adding more (totaling well over 70–80% Sunni-linked when grouped).
- - In the post-2003 Iraq surge and ISIS era (2006–present), nearly all suicide bombings (thousands) were by Sunni insurgents targeting Shia civilians, Iraqi forces, or coalition targets.
- - Empirical analyses (e.g., Choi and Piazza, 2022) find countries with larger Sunni populations are significantly more prone to suicide attacks, with Sunni Islam as the strongest positive predictor (Shia showing no significant correlation).
- Shia perpetrators : Far fewer overall. Shia groups (primarily Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militants) pioneered modern suicide bombings in the early 1980s (e.g., 1983 Beirut barracks bombings against U.S./French forces, and attacks in Lebanon during the 1980s Israeli occupation). These accounted for a notable share in the 1980s–early 1990s (e.g., ~24% of attacks in some 1980s/1990s datasets per CTC analysis).
However, Shia militant groups largely abandoned the tactic after the mid-1990s (last confirmed Hezbollah suicide operations around 1994–2000 against Israeli targets). No significant Shia suicide bombings have been recorded since the 1990s, even during conflicts like the 2006 Lebanon War or Syrian civil war (where Shia militias fight conventionally or via proxies).
Overall post-1980 estimates: Shia-linked attacks represent less than 5–10% of the total (concentrated in early Lebanon phase), with some datasets showing under 1% in recent decades. Overall percentage estimates (approximate, based on aggregated data from sources like CPOST Database on Suicide Attacks, CTC analyses, and empirical studies
- Sunni : 90–98% of suicide attacks since ~1990 (and dominant since 1980 overall, given the explosion in numbers from Sunni groups post-2000).
- - Shia : 2–10% (peaking in the 1980s at ~20–25% in some periods, but near 0% in the 2000s–2020s).
- - Secular/nationalist or other groups : A small share in early periods carried out by groups such as the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.
- This shift reflects doctrinal, strategic, and organizational differences: Shia groups (e.g., Hezbollah) used suicide tactics tactically against occupying forces in the 1980s but largely phased them out after achieving goals or due to religious/political constraints. Sunni Salafi-jihadi groups (e.g., al-Qaeda, ISIS) adopted and expanded the tactic globally as a core strategy, often targeting civilians and intra-Muslim rivals (including Shia).
Pakistan has been the victim of such attacks by the Sunni extremists. The most prominent recent terrorist bombing in Pakistan was specifically targeting the Shia community. On 6 February 2026, a suicide attack occurred at the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque, a Shia mosque in the Tarlai Kalan area of southeastern Islamabad, during Friday prayer, killing at least 32 people and injuring 170 others. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility. Wikipedia Responsibility was claimed specifically by the Islamic State of Pakistan Province (ISPP), a sister franchise of the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP), and analysts noted the attack at the Shia mosque seems aimed at fueling Shia-Sunni sectarian flames to attract former Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants to its ranks. The Diplomat CSIS analysts noted that the sectarian nature of the target points toward IS-KP, as the group has eagerly embraced sectarian violence, while other Pakistani militant groups have sought to distance themselves from such forms of violence. The Trump administration continues to gaslight the American public with the false claim that Iran is the number one sponsor of terrorism, and suicidal to boot, in order to justify waging an unjust and illegal war on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Just thought you should know the facts.
Randy Credico, who hosts a Friday radio show on WBAI in New York called Live on the Fly , invited me, Andre Martyanov and Roger Waters to interview Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s representative to the OSCE in Vienna, Austria: Scott Horton just posted (Sunday night) his conversation with me that was recorded on Friday: --- I thank you for your invaluable support by taking time to read or comment. I do not charge a subscription fee nor do I accept advertising. I want the content to be accessible to everyone interested in the issues I am discussing. However, if you wish to make a donation, please see this link .