Iran blames Israel and the United States on Wednesday for bombings that resulted in the deaths of at least 95 people in the south of the country, tearing apart a crowd celebrating General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard who was killed four years ago in a U.S. strike.
The Bombings and Tensions in the Middle East
The unidentified bombings, described by state media and regional authorities as a “terrorist attack,” occurred amidst heightened tensions in the Middle East due to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the killing of a senior Hamas commander in Lebanon on Tuesday.
Iran’s Accusations and Global Reactions
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s political deputy, Mohammad Jamshidi, accused the United States and Israel of responsibility for the terrorist attack, while the United States rejected any accusations and stated that it did not believe Israel was involved. The United Nations, the European Union, and several countries including Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Iraq condemned the bombings.
The Bombings and Victims
The bombings occurred approximately 15 minutes apart near the Martyrs’ Cemetery at the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman, Soleimani’s hometown in southern Iran, where his supporters had gathered to commemorate his death in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in 2020. The Iranian state news agency reported that 103 people were initially killed, while state television said 211 others were injured, some critically. The deaths of three paramedics who were heading to the first explosion site were confirmed.
International Reactions
The UN Secretary-General, the European Union, and several countries condemned the attacks, and Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his dismay over the attack and wrote a letter to the Iranian president and the country’s supreme leader condemning the killing of the peaceful visitors to the cemetery. The Iran-aligned Hamas expressed its condemnation of the attack, while the Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed solidarity with Iran in this painful event.
Tensions Between Iran and Israel
Iran and Israel have long been enemies, engaged in a covert war of assassination and sabotage. In September, Fars News Agency reported that a “key element” belonging to ISIS, responsible for carrying out “terrorist operations” in Iran, had been arrested in Kerman. In July, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence stated that it had dismantled a network “linked to Israeli espionage” that was planning “terrorist operations” throughout Iran.
Qasem Soleimani and His Role in the Region
Qasem Soleimani was the head of the Quds Force, the external wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, overseeing military operations in the Middle East. He was considered one of the most important decision-makers in the region, setting Iran’s political and military agenda in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
In conclusion, the recent bombings in Iran are a horrific and tragic crime, reflecting the severe tensions in the Middle East. It is important that those responsible for these terrorist attacks are held accountable and justice is served for their victims.
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