Iranian state media is reporting 103 people were killed and 211 injured in a terrorist bombing today. The attack in Kerman, Iran, occurred during a ceremony commemorating the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
Soleimani was assassinated in Baghdad on January 3, 2020 during a diplomatic visit with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi when he was targeted by a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport. The Iraqi government and U.S. Congress did not authorize the assassination, and the strike was condemned as an extrajudicial killing by U.S. and international officials.
The attack on the ceremony began with the first bomb being detonated around 3:00 p.m. today, and the second bomb targeting emergency responders being detonated around 20 minutes later. As of now it is unknown if Israel, other state actors, or terrorist organizations are responsible for the terrorist attack. Israel has previously conducted assassinations targeting civilians in Iran with several nuclear scientists being assassinated over the last two decades.
In response to the attacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “The killing of peaceful people visiting the cemetery is shocking in its cruelty and cynicism.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on X, “We are deeply saddened by the heinous terrorist attacks carried out in Iran’s Kerman province. May God have mercy on those who lost their lives in the attacks and I wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured. I express my condolences to the friendly and brotherly Iranian people.”
