At least 84 people were killed in a bomb attack in Iran on Wednesday, in full commemoration of the death of General Soleimani.
At least 84 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a bomb attack in Iran on Wednesday.
Two explosions took place in full commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the death of General Soleimani, a key man in the regime, killed by an American drone in Iraq in 2020.
Satellite images show thousands of people gathered near General Soleimani’s grave at the Saheb Al-Zaman mosque in the city of Kerman.
According to the official IRNA news agency, a first explosion occurred 700 meters away. A second, a kilometer away.
The local Tasnim agency specifies that they were caused by bombs hidden in two bags and activated via a remote control.
It was the deadliest attack in Iran in nearly 50 years.
An initial death toll of 103 was revised downwards twice. However, with many injured being in critical condition, the toll could rise.
The attack has not yet been claimed
Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi warned that the perpetrators of the attack would soon be “identified and punished”while the attack has not yet been claimed.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for a “harsh response.”
The United States has denied any involvement.
“The United States was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous, said Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department. And second, we have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion.”
This attack occurs in a context of increased tensions in the region, after the death of Hamas number two, killed by an Israeli drone in the suburbs of Beirut in Lebanon.
Iranian authorities have declared a day of national mourning.