Iran blamed Israel and the United States for the attack that left at least 84 dead on Wednesday in the country’s south, where a crowd was commemorating the fourth anniversary of the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
The attack, two explosions spaced 15 minutes apart, occurred at the height of tension in the Middle East and a day after the assassination of Hamas’ number two in Beirut, in an attack that the Lebanese authorities attributed to Israel.
The explosions occurred near the Saheb al Zaman mosque, where Soleimani’s tomb is located, in the city of Kerman. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Although there were initially 103 victims, Iranian authorities on Thursday lowered the toll to 84 dead and over 200 injured.
General Qasem Soleimani was killed at the age of 62 by the United States in a drone strike outside Baghdad (Iraq) airport on January 3, 2020.
“Washington says the United States and Israel had nothing to do with the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Really? (…) Make no mistake. Responsibility for this crime lies with the American and Zionist regimes, and terrorism is just a tool,” said Mohammad Jamshidi, an advisor to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
The US has denied that Israel or itself was involved “in any way”, and a senior official said it “looks like a terrorist attack, the kind of thing the ISIS group has done in the past”.
The President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, at an event in memory of General Qasem Soleimani, killed in an American attack four years ago. Photo: AFPIsrael, Iran’s declared enemy, did not comment on the attack. “We are focused on the fight against Hamas,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
Warning from Tehran
Iran will use “every existing political, legal and international possibility” to prosecute those who perpetrated the “heinous terrorist attack” in Kerman and ensure that they are condemned around the world, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday Iranian.
The ministry denounced “the high level of perversity and wickedness of the enemies of the Iranian nation”, who had to apply “criminal methods with the false hope of emerging from the self-generated crisis in which they are stuck”.
Although the note did not mention the United States or Israel, the term “enemy” It is what Islamic Republic authorities routinely use to refer to these two countries and their leaders.
“Without a doubt, supporting such evil crimes against Iranian citizens, men, women and children, strengthens the intelligent and strong Iranian people’s love for the cause of martyr Qasem Soleimani. It will also strengthen solidarity and cohesion among the brave Iranian people. and will deepen their enmity and hatred towards the well-known enemies of Islamic Iran,” the statement added.
Wednesday’s attack in Kerman raised tension in the Middle East. Photo: REUTERS Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi indicated on Thursday, in statements cited by the Iranian Tasnim agency, that the attack, one of the most serious recorded on Iranian territory in recent decades, was perpetrated with “highly explosive” materials and that was was was directed at civilians, who received shrapnel wounds, which constitutes a “reprehensible, cowardly and harmful” terrorist act.
According to the IRNA agency, the first explosion on Wednesday occurred 700 meters from Soleimani’s tomb, and the second one one kilometer away.
Images circulated online showed crowds trying to flee the scene as security personnel cordoned off the area.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said “two bags of bombs exploded.” “The perpetrators (…) apparently detonated the bombs via remote control,” she added.
“We were walking towards the cemetery when, suddenly, a vehicle stopped behind us and a rubbish bin containing a bomb exploded,” a witness told the ISNA agency.
The Islamic Republic declared a day of national mourning on Thursday and President Raisi, who state media said had canceled a trip planned for Thursday to Turkey, condemned the “heinous” attack.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei On Wednesday, he promised a “tough response” to the nation’s “evil and criminal enemies.”
As night fell, the crowd returned to the scene chanting, “Death to Israel!” and “Death to America!”
“We condemn today’s harsh terrorist attack. I hope that the perpetrators of the crime will be identified and punished for their actions,” Soleimani’s daughter Zeinab said.
Iran has long been waging a war in the shadow ofmurders and sabotage with its enemy Israel, as well as fighting against various jihadist and armed groups.
In September, the Fars news agency reported that an affiliate of the ISIS group, tasked with carrying out “terrorist operations” in Iran, had been arrested in Kerman.
In July, Iranian intelligence said it had dismantled a network it said was “linked to the Israeli spy organization” and was planning “terrorist operations” across Iran, including “an explosion on the tomb” of Soleimani , according to Irna.
General Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force – Iran’s ideological army – was responsible for Iranian foreign operations, especially in the Middle East.
Soleimani was one of the country’s most popular personalities and was considered a hero for his role in defeating the ISIS group in both Iraq and Syria.
The United States and its allies long considered him the sworn enemy.
Source: agencies
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.