On Wednesday, January 3, two explosions occurred in Kerman, Iran, during a memorial ceremony for the late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
According to the Associated Press, the blasts resulted in the deaths of at least 95 people, while injuring at least 211 more. Numbers differ among various media sources. This incident marks one of the deadliest attacks in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The commemoration was held on the anniversary of Soleimani’s assassination in 2020 in a U.S. drone strike. It attracted thousands of mourners to his hometown of Kerman.
The first explosion occurred approximately half a mile from Soleimani’s grave, with a second blast about 20 minutes later about 0.6 miles away. These explosions did not occur at the actual grave site, suggesting that the explosive devices did not have to pass through any security measures.
The Iranian state media reported that the two blasts were caused by terrorist attacks. Initial investigations indicated that the explosions resulted from two briefcases loaded with explosives, detonated remotely near the entrance of the cemetery.
On January 4, it was reported that ISIS had claimed responsibility for the bombings. ISIS’s Al-Furqan media division released a declaration. The announcement identified two sibling suicide bombers as the perpetrators who set off their explosive belts amidst a crowd of Shiite mourners.
Qassem Soleimani, a highly influential figure in Iran, had led the Quds Force, an elite unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His role involved overseeing Iranian-supported proxy groups across the Middle East, projecting Tehran’s military and political influence in regions like Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. His assassination in 2020 by the U.S. significantly escalated tensions between Iran and the U.S.
The memorial service, which was state-run and broadcast live, showed a large procession of mourners in the streets before the explosions. Following the attack, the broadcast captured scenes of panic and emergency responders rushing to aid the injured.
The deputy governor of Kerman described the incident as a “terrorist attack,” reflecting the official stance of the Iranian authorities.
As the situation develops, the international community is closely watching Iran’s response to this incident, especially given the strategic and symbolic significance of the target. The attack not only represents a direct strike on a key symbol of Iranian national pride but also underscores the challenges Iran faces regarding internal security and regional conflicts.
