Wednesday saw a tragic event unfold in the Iranian city of Kerman, where a terror attack near the burial site of the late military commander Qasem Soleimani resulted in dozens of casualties. Twin blasts occurred on the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death in a US airstrike, contributing to heightened tensions in the region, particularly following the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
State TV reported that at least one of the explosions was caused by a bomb. According to Iran’s national emergency agency head Jafar Miadfar, at least 84 people lost their lives, and 284 others sustained injuries. The toll was later adjusted due to a miscount of body parts.
Despite the severity of the incident, no group has claimed responsibility for the blasts. President Ebrahim Raisi accused Israel of being behind the attack, vowing that it would face a “heavy price” for the alleged crime. Raisi, in a televised speech from Tehran, issued a stern warning to Israel, emphasizing that the consequences would be “regrettable and severe.” a tragic event unfold
Iran has suffered major Islamist terror attacks before. In 2022, at least 15 people were killed and 40 others injured in the southern city of Shiraz. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack swiftly afterwards, saying it targeted groups of “Sunni infidels.”