Iranian embassy bombing may be linked to Syrian war: Report

Nearly 23 people were killed in bomb blasts at the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday.

Iranian troops are fighting in neighboring Syria to support the dictatorship there.

The civil war in Syria is in its third year and it is becoming a fight between the two main branches of Islam-the Sunni and the Shi'a-a rift that extends through the region, CBS News reports.

In the morning, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated himself just outside Iran's embassy gate.

Moments later, a car bomb exploded down the street, killind a number of innocent people.

An extremist group with ties to al Qaeda-the Abdullah Azzam Brigades-claimed responsibility for the bombings.

The group said the attack was in retaliation for Iran's support of the Assad regime in neighboring Syria.

Iran is the main backer of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to join Assad's forces, the report said.

In the past few months, those fighters have tipped the balance in favor of the Syrian government troops.

This is not the first time that the Syrian war has moved into neighboring countries. But the attack on the Iranian embassy has raised fears the violence could escalate, the report added.