More than 100 people killed in twin blasts near slain Iran commander’s grave

CNN-Jan3rd 2024

By: Mostafa Salem, Abbas Al Lawati and Rob Picheta, Tara John and Hande Atay Alam, CNN

At least 103 people were killed Wednesday and 188 injured in the Iranian city of Kerman after twin blasts near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani, in what officials called a terror attack.

The blasts, at least one of which was caused by a bomb, state TV said, came on the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death in a US air strike, and threatens to accelerate tensions in the region that have spiked since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The first explosion was 2,300 feet (700 meters) from Soleimani’s grave, and the second was 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) away as pilgrims visited the site, IRNA added.

Soleimani was killed by a US airstrike ordered by former President Donald Trump at Baghdad International Airport four years ago Wednesday.

IRINN, another state television channel, reported that the first explosion near the grave of Soleimani was caused by a bomb placed in a suitcase inside a Peugeot 405 car, and appeared to be detonated remotely.

Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the first explosion happened at 3:00 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET) during an interview with Iran’s state news channel IRIB. Vahidi said the second, more deadly blast took place 20 minutes later, when other pilgrims came to help the injured.

Videos posted on Iranian state media showed large crowds running in the area after the explosion.

Footage also showed bloodied bodies being transported from the scene, and ambulances leaving the site through large crowds.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, yet Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi blamed Israel for the explosions, saying it will pay a “heavy price.”

“I warn the Zionist regime, do not doubt that you will pay a heavy price for this crime and the crimes you have committed,” Raisi said in a televised speech from Tehran. Raisi, who is the head of the Iranian government, warned that Israel’s punishment will be “regrettable and severe.”

The Israeli military told CNN it had “no comment” on the matter.

Though analysts and a US official speculated that the blast had the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.

“I think it’s just based on the MO it does look like a terrorist attack, the type of thing we’ve seen ISIS do in the past. And as far as we’re aware, that’s kind of I think our going assumption at the moment,” the official said.

US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said at a press briefing that the US does not “have any independent information” about the explosions, and that the State Department has “no reason to believe that Israel was involved.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Iran will have a “harsh response.” Addressing those behind the explosions, he wrote: “They should know that the bright soldiers of the path of Soleimani will not tolerate their wickedness and crimes.”

Iran declared Thursday a day of mourning following the blasts and Raisi canceled his upcoming trip to Turkey.

Formerly one of Iran’s most powerful men, Soleimani was head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, an elite unit that handles Iran’s overseas operations and was deemed to be a foreign terrorist organization by the US.