On January 3, over 100 people were killed in Iran by two deadly explosions that went off near the tomb of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of his assassination. Apart from this, there were several people who were wounded when the blasts hit a procession near the Saheb al-Zaman mosque in the city of Kerman.
Details of the explosions in Iran:
Image Credit: Anadolu
Several photos and videos of the areas affected by the explosions have been released online. All of them show injured people lying on the road and ambulances rushing to the scene.
In the footage broadcast released by Iranian state TV, one can see that the explosions happened when a large crowd took part in a procession that was passing by the road near Soleimani’s grave. After the explosions, people could be heard screaming and running away from the scene.
Iranian media has reported that the first bomb was detonated around 15:00 in local time and was about 700 metres away from the Garden of Martyrs cemetery, where Soleimani’s tomb lies. The second bombing took place about 15 minutes later and was around 1km away from the cemetery. It is believed that it was for targeting people who were able to flee from the first explosion.
State television in Iran has said that the blasts occurred in quick succession in the southern city of Kerman. Kerman province’s governor has told ‘Irna,’ a state news agency, that both blasts happened outside the area secured by security checkpoints. He added that authorities are sure that these explosions have been caused by bombs. However, he has said that it is not yet clear whether these explosions were detonated remotely or by suicide attackers. The Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, has written that according to their sources, there were “two bags carrying bombs,” which were apparently detonated “by remote control.”
The Iranian Red Crescent has said in a statement that the dead included at least one of their paramedics who rushed to the scene of the first explosion but was injured in the second one. Interior Minister Ahmad Vahid has said that the second blast has killed and wounded more people than the first one.
Iran’s reaction to this explosion?
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called these explosions “terrorist attacks” and vowed that they would be met with a “harsh response.” Interior Minister Ahmad Vahid has said that an investigation has been launched to determine who was behind the attack.
However, there have been no immediate claims from any groups for these explosions, which are believed to have been the deadliest attack in Iran in the last 42 years. Suspicions can possibly fall on Arab separatists and Sunni jihadist groups like the Islamic State (IS). They have previously carried out such attacks on civilians and security forces in the country in recent years.
Who is Iranian general Qasem Soleimani?
Image Credit: Press Office of Iranian Supreme Leader
Qasem Soleimani was recognised as the most powerful figure in Iran after the supreme leader before he was killed in 2020 in a US drone strike in their neighbouring country, Iraq. Soleimani was an architect of Iranian policy all across the region. He was the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ overseas operations arm, the Quds Force. Along with this, he was in charge of the Quds Force’s missions and its provision of guidance, funding, weapons, intelligence, and logistical support to allied governments and armed groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas.
Reactions from around the world to the deadly explosions in Iran:
Image Credit: AFPTV
The explosions this Wednesday come amid the already heightened tensions in the region after the deputy leader of Hamas was killed in what is being believed to be an Israeli drone strike in Lebanon.
On Wednesday evening, after the incident, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a statement expressing his condolences to the affected families. He said that the enemies of Iran have once again created a disaster and martyred a large number of people in Kerman. He said that those corrupt minds who have led to this atrocity will soon receive a fair and harsh punishment for their evil deeds. President Ebrahim Raisi has called out these bombings as a “cowardly act” that has been carried out by ‘Iran-hating criminals.’
Rob Macaire, who is the former British ambassador to Iran, said in an interview with the media that it was not clear who was behind the bombings.
UN Secretary General António Guterres has strongly condemned these attacks and expressed his ‘deep condolences to the grief-stricken families’ and also to the people and the government of Iran. The European Union has said that it condemned the bombing “in the strongest terms” and expressed its solidarity with the people of Iran. The Russian President Vladimir Putin also commented on this incident and called this attack shocking in its cruelty and cynicism.’
The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement has said that the victims were martyrs who died on ‘the same road, cause, and battle’ that was led by their leader Soleimani.
