At a memorial service for top commander Qassem Soleimani, two explosions in Iran left nearly 100 people dead and numerous others injured. On Thursday, Islamic State claimed responsibility for these incidents.
The militant Sunni Muslim group claimed in a statement released on its affiliate Telegram channels that two IS members had set off explosive belts among the people who had gathered at the cemetery in Kerman, southeastern Iran, on Wednesday. A US drone assassinated Soleimani in Iraq in 2020.
White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington that the US had no reason to question the Islamic State’s assertion that it was behind Wednesday’s attack.
Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber told reporters in Kerman that “a very strong retaliation will be meted out to them by the hands of the soldiers of Soleimani.”
According to state media, Iranian authorities have called for widespread demonstrations on Friday, the day of the twin explosion victims’ funerals. Attacks “aimed at creating insecurity and seeking revenge against the nation’s deep love and devotion to the Islamic Republic” were deemed cowardly by Iran’s formidable Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran, denounced the “heinous and inhumane crime” that occurred on Wednesday. Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, promised retaliation for the bombings. In a statement, the UN Security Council denounced the “cowardly terrorist attack” that occurred on Wednesday.
