TEHRAN (AP) — Two explosions near the burial site of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who killed him on Wednesday, killed at least 95 other people and wounded more than 210, local media reported.
The explosions occurred as dozens of people gathered at the Kerman cemetery in southeastern Iran to mark the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death in a US drone strike.
The first blast was about 700 meters from Soleimani’s tomb and the second was a kilometer away, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Rahman Jalali, deputy governor of Kerman province in charge of political and security affairs, said the blasts were carried out by “terrorists,” IRNA reported.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network said the cause of the explosions was still being investigated and rescue groups were at the scene. He added that most of the injuries were caused by overcrowding and panic.
The Iranian declared Thursday a day of national mourning.
Soleimani, one of the most powerful military commanders in Iran, was killed on Jan 3, 2020, near Baghdad’s international airport in a drone strike ordered by then-US President Donald Trump.
He was buried in his hometown of Kerman after a funeral that drew millions of mourners across Iran. Iran denounced the assassination as “state terrorism” and vowed revenge.
Following the latest incident, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the attackers would face “a harsh response. “Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said, “Undoubtedly, the perpetrators and leaders of this cowardly act will soon be known and punished. “
US officials, meanwhile, rejected any suggestion that it or its ally Israel was behind the deadly blasts.
“The U. S. wasn’t worried in any way. And the suggestion otherwise is ridiculous. And secondly, we don’t have any explanation as to why Israel is concerned about this,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Wednesday.
The United Nations, the European Union and several countries, Russia, Turkey and Germany, denounced the explosions.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms and said those responsible must be brought to justice, according to a statement issued by the UN chief’s office.
In a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell strongly condemned the fatal incident and offered his condolences to the families of those affected, as well as to the Iranian government and people, wishing a speedy recovery from the situation. wounded.
According to a statement from the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin had sent a message to Khamenei and Raisi, saying that Russia strongly condemns terrorism in all forms and reaffirms its commitment to the uncompromising fight against it.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a phone call with Raisi, condemned the twin attacks “targeting civilians”, reiterating his call for Iran to act jointly in the fight against terrorism.
The decision was also made to postpone Raisi’s stopover in Turkey, initially scheduled for Thursday, “to a later date,” Erdogan’s workplace said, which was also shown through Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff. affairs.
“We are deeply saddened by the numerous deaths in today’s explosions in Kerman, many children,” the German Foreign Ministry wrote on the social network X. “We condemn this act of terrorism. “
The Iranian people deserve a long-term peace and security, the ministry added.